My Way
by MorbidAngel01
Summary: Just a little something on how I think the season should of ended...
1. Chapter 1 : Home

Basically this is just they way I would have liked the end of the season to go...I own nothing, simply borrowing the characters for the time being. This is my first fanfiction and my first female/female attempt as well. I was really just writing it for myself to be honest but my best friend convinced me to post it so... Would love some reviews and if you guys enjoy I'll definitely update often. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 : Home?

Michonne finds herself slowly walking back to the prison after Merle let her go. It's still a mystery as to why he brought her all the way out in the middle of no where only to let her go, what was the reason? Did he have a plan? Merle wasn't the smartest man in the world but he had to know that by letting her go he was putting his brother in danger. And if there was one thing she could say about Merle, it was that he loved his brother. Surely the people from the prison wouldn't be happy to see her return, knowing it meant that a war was coming for them. They obviously had no problem sacrificing her, but then again she couldn't really blame them. They had people to look out for, both woman and kids. But Michonne knew that by the deal not being fulfilled means the Governor would be out for blood, for her blood and the blood of those still at the prison who had betrayed him.

The people at the prison were the same ones that Andrea spent the beginning of the end with, the ones who at left her behind when they were attacked. But Andrea never held a grudge against them, they saw her go down and they thought she was dead. Andrea...It always goes back to her, at least where Michonne is concerned it does. It makes her wonder if Andrea was in on the deal, surely not. Would she sacrifice me after all that we have been through? After all the times I'm saved her and the times even myself needed saving. With only the katana at her back to keep her company, she really misses having someone around. To be honest she doesn't want just anyone around, she wants Andrea. She's at a crossroads at what she should do, go back to the people who planned to deliver her to a madman or take her chances out in the wild alone. Her mind goes back to a time not so long ago when she had a little blonde companion and she stops dead in her tracks.

"Andrea..." Realizing at that moment that she had no home, that blonde haired blue eyed beauty was indeed her home. Deciding that were ever Andrea was is where she wanted to be, she craves the other woman's company more than anything in this new world. Andrea was her light at the end of the tunnel and Michonne needed her like she needed the air she breathed. And Andrea wanted to be in Woodbury and that meant Michonne wanted to be there too, no matter how much she hated the thought. It really confused Michonne why Andrea had chosen to stay, she always trusted Michonne's instinct. It had already saved their lives on numerous occasions, helped them to survive the brutal winter. Quickly making up her mind Michonne heads towards Woodbury instead of the prison. Things were about to go down and she refused to let Andrea go down with them, no matter if the blonde had picked Woodbury over her...Picked him over her, that thought alone makes her stomach drop and almost brings her to her knees. But then again could she really blame the blonde? She was looking for normalcy in a world that would never be normal again. Woodbury was a place Andrea felt could be a home for them, a place where they could live out their lives in some sort of peace. Michonne scoffs at the thought of the Governor, that man could never mean peace.

Michonne and the blonde had spent many months together after finding the other woman in the woods about to be some walkers lunch, Michonne had saved her. But now as Michonne makes her way towards Woodbury...Towards Andrea she can't help but long for the companionship of the blonde. She longs for that beautiful smile that the other woman would send her way. How Andrea could find a reason to smile in a world gone to hell Michonne would never understand, it warmed Miconne's heart to think that maybe, just maybe she was the blonde's reason to smile. Andrea may be hard headed and stubborn but in the end they always came through and had each others backs. Could things ever be the same between the two, just her and Andrea against the undead? Hearing something over to her left Michonne quickly hides behind a tree, making sure to remain unseen. Hearing the light voices she realizes that it's survivors, but considering the 'survivors' she's come across lately she chooses to stay hidden. They could very well be part of the Governors army.

Michonne had somewhere she had to be and someone she was in desperate need of seeing. She refuses to let anyone stop her from reaching her destination, from reaching her Andrea. Her mind once again travels to a time not so long ago when Andrea had begged to be left alone in that meat locker, claiming she was only holding them back. Michonne of course had refused but then only a few days later ended up leaving her anyway. Walking away from Andrea that day was one of the hardest things she's done in a long time. Hearing the desperation in Andrea's voice as she called her name, it broke Michonne's already shattered heart. It took everything not to turn around and run back to the blonde, which is the reason she refused to turn back to see Andrea's face. But was one really any better than the other? Leaving her to die alone in a meat locker or leaving her to face the evils of that god forsaken town alone. After a few seconds the noise gets farther away and she comes from her hiding place and heads towards Woodbury, she should only be a few minutes away. "If Andrea is going to be in Woodbury then so am I."

But just as she starts walking again she comes face to face with a walker, a freshly turned walker at that. Michonne goes to take the walker down but stops dead in her tracks when she sees blonde hair. Feeling her heart sink, "No..." Trying to get a closer look Michonne takes in everything about the walker that she can. The clothes were torn and dirty so she couldn't be for sure if they were Andrea's or not. The face was covered in muck and dirt, eyes empty and soul less. Could it be? Could those milky white eyes that are staring at her now once have been the baby blue ones that she had fallen in love with? Deciding that this wasn't Andrea she uses her katana to slice the head off, bending down to take a closer look since it was now pretty much harmless. Nope this couldn't be her Andrea and she refused to believe anything different. Michonne shakes the morbid thoughts of that woman lying headless being her sweet Andrea and continues onward. She had no choice now, she needed to see her, just to be sure she was still alive.

Tyreese and Sasha are at the wall, but things were kinda slow. Not even the walkers seemed to be out today. "Sure is a quiet day today, wonder where all the biters are. We haven't seen the first one all day."

"Ty even if there was biters out there, you wouldn't be able to shoot them. You can't even hit one that is right in front of you." Sasha smirks at her brother before turning her eyes back to the job at hand. "We should really be paying better attention, the Gov won't be happy if we let in any biters...Or anyone else for that matter."

"I've been thinking a lot about what Andrea said to us the other day, something seems off with our Gov. He's thirsty for blood and I'm not sure we should stick around to see if our blood is included. I just want you to be safe, that's my job now. To keep you safe."

Michonne having finally made it to Woodbury sticks close to the wall and out of sight but stops suddenly when she hears the guards talking about Andrea, her Andrea.

"Are you thinking we should leave?"

"I honestly don't know, Andrea had a home here and she jumped the wall to be with those people at the prison. Why would she do something like that if she felt safe here? You heard the things she said, the scared look on her face as she spoke. She was terrified."

"What?" Michonne whispers to herself, Andrea had left? But she wasn't at the prison, but she wasn't in Woodbury either? Her mind goes back to to girl in the woods but knowing that couldn't have been Andrea she tries hard to push down the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. The thought of Andrea being out there alone almost made her sick, made her want to sink to her knees and scream in frustration.

Michonne manages to slink by the two guards and towards the back were she had gotten in the first time she returned. She actually manages to get inside without any problems, most of the men must be on their way to seal the deal with the prison. Her mind is trying to play tricks on her, telling her things like Andrea doesn't want you here and she doesn't love you like you love her. Quickly she manages to make it to the room she shared with Andrea on her brief stay, remembering exactly how to get there. Finding the door unlocked, she walks inside and could instantly smell the other girl. A scent that was distinctly Andrea and even though it was faded Michonne took a deep breath and breathed it in. God how she missed the other girl, the way her baby blue eyes sparkled every time she smiled. Looking around the room she noticed Andrea's clothes still strewn across the bad, maybe those people were wrong about Andrea leaving. There has to be someone in this place that could give her the answers.

Slowly backing out the the room she comes face to face with the one person who could probably help her. Unshething her katana Michonne grabs the man pushing him roughly against the wall, her beloved katana poised at the mans throat. "Just who I wanted to see! Now I'm going to ask you one question and if you give me the answer I want to hear then I will let you live. Do you understand?" The man gives a slight nod and Michonne continues, "Where is Andrea?"

"I... Andrea?" The man gives Michonne a confused look before glancing down at the sword at his throat, not wanting to anger her.

"Have you gone stupid? You going to pretend you aren't aware of who Andrea is? Allow me to refresh your memory then, beautiful blonde with baby blue eyes...Is it ringing a bell now? "

"I..."

"Don't you play games with me! I said if you want to live you will answer the question, and I really hate having to repeat myself." Michonne takes the opportunity to push the tip of her sword deeper into the mans throat, careful not to cut him because she needed the answers she was sure this man had. "Now do I really need to ask again?"

"An...Andrea isn't here. She left to go back to her people at the prison."

"Don't you lie to me! I've been at the prison and Andrea isn't there! Tell me where she is or I swear I don't care that you are a living person or not I will slit your throat open and watch you bleed!" Michonne proves her point by pressing in further, the blood is slowly starting to slide down the mans throat. Milton, if she remembers correctly.

"I swear! That's all I know, that's what we were told by the guards. Andrea jumped the wall, I was the one who told her to go. I told her about the plan Phillip was constructing, that even if they brought you to him he would still slaughter her friends. She was coming to warn you, I swear!"


	2. Chapter 2 : Saving Me

Chapter 2 : Saving Me

Michonne looks down at the man with fire in her eyes, wanting nothing more than to just let the blade of her katana slip into his throat and end his life. "You're lying to me... I hate liars almost as much as I hate those walking corpses out there." Killing him right now would be just so easy, so effortless. Just allowing the blade to slip into his throat like a knife into hot butter. Cutting bones and tendons as it goes and to be honest Michonne may even smile at the sight. "Andrea is here! Tell me where she is!"

"No... No I wouldn't do that! She's gone, Phillip went looking for her but he said he didn't find her. He came back into town alone, Andrea wasn't with him."

"How do you know she wasn't?! Because thats what that crazy bastard told you? How long?"

"I... I'm not sure...And I can't be 100 % positive that he wasn't hiding her." Milton is so scared that he stumbles over his words, not wanting this ferocious woman to end his life. "I..." She is shooting him looks that almost causes him to piss his pants.

Michonne cuts him off, tired of playing this game with him. "Well you better think harder or else I'm gonna make you walker bait!" Michonne pushes even harder into the blade, the blood flowing steady now. She can smell his blood and it almost makes her sick. "I'll ask you again since you seem to be having a hard time hearing me, how long has it been since she left? You keep forcing me to repeat myself... It's getting old and it's starting to piss me off. You must have a death wish or something? Do you think I'm joking when I say I will end you?" Michonne knows that if he doesn't start talking soon she would lose her cool. She's never taken a human life before but there's always a first time for everything.

"No..." Milton can feel his blood as it slowly spills forth, he can feel his strength leave his body with every drop of blood that spills.

"Then tell me what you know!"

"It was yesterday or the day before. She should have made it to the prison by now, unless the biters got to her before she made it. Phillip is suppose to be meeting with the people of the prison today, maybe she is there and you don't realize. And I hate to say it but if she is there then she's probably dead by now. Phillip has bloodlust and he's looking for you. You took his eye, killed his daughter... You realize that don't you? He's going to flip when he finds out your friends skipped out on their part of the deal. He's not looking for prisoners to take, he's looking to take lives."

"If it's my life he wants, then tell him to come and get it! Lets see who ends up losing their life in the end. He may take my life but ill drag him right into hell with me! But he can't have Andrea's!"

The tone in the woman's voice scares him, it's almost calm... Almost, but possibly even bordering insanity. "She's probably dead already, and I think you should be on your way before Phillip gets back."

The comment makes Michonne falter, "No! Don't say that, she is not dead! She has to be in this town somewhere, your Governor probably found her before she made it back to the prison and brought her back here. As for my life? And his daughter? Well I'd lay my life on the line any day as long as Andrea gets to keep hers. And Penny was it? She was already dead, she was a soulless monster and I put her down like I would any walker. Keeping her alive in that state was cruel, she was only a child!"

"But to Phillip she wasn't dead, he believed there was a part of her still in there somewhere. He believed that we could bring her back, if given enough time. She was all he had left and in his eyes you took her away from him."

"Well I could care less about what Phillip believes." Michonne spits the mans name out venomously, almost choking as it flows over her lips. "Now, where do you think she would be if he had her here."

"I... I don't know..."

"There has to be somewhere he would take her, keep her out of sight so no one would see her. Think you son of a bitch!" Michonne brings one hand up, grabbing Milton by the hair and forcing the blade to dig deeper into the tender flesh of his neck. She smiles at his sharp in take of breath. "If what you say is true that you told Andrea to leave, but yet you are holding me back from helping her! All I want is for her to be safe, don't you want the same thing!"

"There is a room, a room where he planned to take you once you were in his possession. A makeshift torture chamber if you will and I'm sure if she's here then it's a good possibility she's in that room."

"Take me to it. "

"I can't, he will kill me!"

Michonne can see the fear in the mans eyes but she feels no remorse. "I'll kill you if you don't take me there you dumb fuck!" Michonne removes the blade and jerks him forward, "You don't have a choice in the matter! You'll take me there now!" Michonne usually not one for words has had it with this man. This man who was wasting precious time while Andrea's life is on the line!

Milton gives the woman one last look while rubbing his neck to check out the damage before turning and walking down the hallway, "You are going to get us all killed!"

"Us all? I don't give a damn about you or this town! Take me to the room now and keep your mouth shut before I cut out your tongue and feed it to a walker!"

Walking a little farther they finally come to a metal door, Michonne quietly puts her ear to the door to see if she can hear anything. "Andrea", she whispers. "Andrea are you in there?" Michonne steps back and draws her katana, "Open the door and then step back. I'll go in first."

Milton does as she says and unlatches the door, swinging it open wide. Inside he sees Andrea strapped to a chair an gagged.

"Andrea!" Michonne pushes past Milton and goes straight to the other girls side. The sight of blood worries Michonne, was Andrea bitten? Wires that were meant to keep her put have cut deep into the woman's wrists leaving them raw and bloody. Michonne goes to unbind the woman but Milton's voice stops her.

"Wait! Maybe we shouldn't untie her just yet. Is she dead?"

"I don't think so, she would have turned if that were the case. Andrea, can you hear me?" Michonne tries to push the blonde hair from the woman's face but when she does she's greeted with an angry slash above Andrea's left eye. Michonne can't help but wince at the sight, knowing this cut was going to scar and mar the once flawless skin.

"What's wrong with her?" Milton steps forward to finally see the blonde beauty but gasps in horror at the sight that greets him. "Oh god..."

"She's lost a lot of blood, she could be in shock. We need to get her free and get out of here! Im sure the Governor will be back soon and we don't have any time to spare!" Michonne can feel the tears build in her eyes but she refuses to let them fall, she had to be strong for Andrea. Once they got out of this place alive, then she could break down but not until then. Andrea needed her to be strong and she wouldn't let her down, not again.

Michonne reaches for the woman's neck, sighing in utter relief when she feels the flutter of Andrea's pulse. "Stay with me Andrea, I'm gonna get you out of here!"

"I don't think she's gonna make it..."

Michonne is up and pushing Milton against the wall before the words can even fully pass over his lips. "Don't. You. Dare." You can practically hear the venom oozing from her voice. "Make yourself useful and find me something to cut these wires with and do it quickly! Don't make me have to threaten you again, it's getting old. Pretty soon I'm gonna stop threatening and start doing!"

Michonne makes her way back over to her blonde beauty leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Don't you listen to him! You and I are gonna make it out of this alive. I promise."

Milton returns with wire cutters while he looks from Andrea to Michonne. "You better hurry, you don't have much more time."

Quickly cutting the wire and tenderly removing them, Michonne looks back at the blondes face. Her eyes are open and tears are now streaming down, "You came back for me."

"Of course I did..."

"I..." A cough racks Andrea's body and she winces at the pain that reverberates through her chest. "I'm sorry... I should..." The coughs rack her body again as the tears continue to fall.

Michonne leans down and places a tender kiss on the other woman's forehead while gingerly brushing at the tears. "You thought you were doing the right thing, I shouldn't have left you."

"But..."

"Shh, we can talk about it later. But for now let's get out of here, okay? We don't want to be here when the Governor gets here." Michonne gently lifts Andrea from that chair of torture and cradles her against her chest.

"Mich... Thank you..."

"For what?"

"For coming back, for saving me." Andrea sighs then buries her head into the side of Michonne's neck.

"No sweetie you have it all wrong, you are the one saving me..."


	3. Chapter 3 : Realize

Hey guys sorry this is a really short chapter...Mostly a filler chapter to be honest...But next chapter should be much better!

Chapter 3 : Realize

"Do you plan on just walking through the streets with her? Don't you think that will cause a problem? The people of the town will have questions, they would tell Phillip what they saw. This really isn't a good idea, none of this is a good idea. You are only going to cause problems for me."

"Well I know you don't expect me to stay here until your Governor comes back... So unless there's a back way then this will have to do." Michonne grips Andrea's body close to hers, making sure she had a good grip as not to drop her.

"Of course I don't want you to stay here but..." Milton is having a hard time getting his words out under Michonne's somber gaze, truth being she terrified him.

"You got a better idea then?" When she doesn't receive an answer she continues her journey.

"Well no but..." Milton finds a knitted blanket laying a cross a chair in the corridor, "At least cover her with this. We don't need the residents to see her this way, it will only cause a panic. And that is the absolute last thing we need right now. The last time we had a panic people were rushing the gates and we barely managed to overcome it."

"What? You don't want these people to see what their leader did?! They deserve to know what kind of man they are following!" Michonne rolls her eyes but covers Andrea's body with the blanket anyway, telling herself she's only doing it to make sure Andrea is warm. "And so what if they do tell him, we will be long gone before that happens. You said he was out for blood, so either way he will come looking for us. I would much rather be at the prison when he comes, we have a better chance there. There are more people and we have means to protect ourselves. Andrea can't even walk so I need to get her to Hershel so he can fix her up, she's in no condition to fight. We want to be with our people, because after all look what your people did to her!" Michonne spits the words venomously at him, not really meaning to take it out on the man but having no one else to lash out at.

"We have good people here Michonne, Phillip he just..." Milton cuts his sentence off not really sure what to say, Phillip had literally lost his mind.

"He just what? Went bat shit crazy? Yeah, I am aware. I am however grateful for you letting us go and giving us a chance." Michonne gives the man a look that she hopes tells him she truly means it.

"You don't have a chance. You may have saved her for the time being but he will find you and he will kill you both as well as those people at the prison. And it won't be quickly... He will torture you and then make you watch as he kills everyone you love. You shouldn't go back to the prison, you just need to get as far away as possible. It may have been more humane just to let her die in that room."

"Don't go there, death is not the answer here. And besides where do you suggest we go? In case you haven't noticed while living in this little town of fantasy, things have gone to shit out there in the real world. No one place is safer than another. At least at the prison there will be other people to help us fight him off!" Michonne is angry but she has to learn to control her temper, this man did just help her after all.

"And for what's it worth...I really thought Andrea had made her way back to the prison..." Milton looks down in shame for not realizing sooner that Phillip had been lying to him all the while he had Andrea tied to a chair in his makeshift torture chamber. Deep down he feels he should have known Phillip would have never come back without her, she knew too much. "I never wanted this for her, she is such a good person. Always wanting to find the best in people."

"Yeah... And look where it got her, besides we can't just leave the people at the prison to die in a bloodbath. Andrea considers them her family and she would never agree to leaving them to be killed." Michonne thinks to that time 8 months ago when those very people had left Andrea behind, but if they hadn't then Michonne would have never stumbled on her. So she wouldn't...Couldn't fault them for that, not when it meant she got to be with Andrea and their time together meant everything. Michonne didn't know if Andrea felt the same but she would take whatever the blonde was willing to give. Even if it was only friendship, at least she will still have the other woman by her side. And in a world like the one they are living in, that meant everything.

"You love her don't you?" Milton has a look of understanding on his face, finally starting to see the big picture. "You came back here for her because you're in love with her. You saw through Phillip, you saw what kind of man he really is. That's why you left in the first place."

"I..." Michonne looks down and sees that Andrea has her eyes closed. Michonne realized not long after leaving the other woman that she indeed loved her but was she ready to admit that to this man she hardly knew? What if Andrea could hear her? Was she ready for that and all the things that would follow after Andrea knew the truth? "Yes. Although I never dreamed to find her like this. I just came back because I wanted to be where ever she was." Michonne continues walk through the roads of Woodbury with Andrea tucked safely in her arms, her precious bundle of happiness. She can feel the other woman's sweet breath as it tickles her bare chest, and it almost drives Michonne mad. But in feeling that steady breath it meant Andrea was still there, she was still alive. Milton was right, she is receiving looks from the residents but she could care less. Let someone try and stop her, she would rip them apart with her bare hands. "Almost out of here sweetie, are you still with me?"

"Mmm." The blonde manages to nod her head slightly even though exhaustion rages through every part of her body. And not only that but every part of her body aches. "Mi... Milton?"

Michonne slows but refuses to stop, taking a second to check behind them to see if the wary man was indeed still following them. "Right behind us Andrea, don't worry. Just relax and get some rest we will be back at the prison before you know it. You are safe now, and I promise I won't let anything happen to you. We will get Hershel to check you out and then you will be as good as new. Back to being your normal zombie killing self."

Andrea nods slowly and lays her head back on Michonne's chest. "Mich..." But before she can even finish the thought she had dosed back into a slumber. Her body refusing to let her stay conscious long enough to have a conversation with her savior.

"When we come to the gates, let me do the talking. I have a car just outside, you can take it. Two new people are running the gates, we shouldn't have any problems with them."

"You are coming with us right? You can't stay here, especially when the Governor will surely know you helped Andrea escape." Michonne look at the man and can't help but frown.

"No, I have to stay here." Milton gives Michonne a look that says I won't change my mind on this.

"That's suicide and you know it, he will kill you." Michonne doesn't want to see Milton die, he did after all just help her save the most important person in her life. "Come with us, Andrea would want that. The people at the prison are good people, they will help us. He can protect you and Andrea with the Governor finds us.

"I need to stay here, at least for a little longer. I can buy the two of you some time before Phillip comes after you, I owe that to her...And to you. I'm not promising how long I can hold him off but I will do the best that I can." Finally walking up the the gate he goes straight up to Tyreese, "We need to open the gates and let these two pass."

"No can do the Gov..." Tyreese looks over that the two and stops mid sentence when he seen blonde hair peeking out from underneath the blanket. "Is that Andrea?" Tyreese quickly climbs down the wall and makes a move to remove the blanket in order to see Andrea's face.

Michonne jerks back quickly, "What do you think you are doing?"

"What happened to her?" Tyreese holds his hands up to show he means no harm. "I thought she left, we let her pass through the gates."

"Yeah that seems to be the story I've been getting from everyone." Michonne can't help but pull Andrea in closer to her body, the warmth comforting her somehow. "Can you please just let us pass so we can get the hell out of here?!"

"Was she bitten?" Sasha comes down from the wall as well after hearing the commotion.

"No, your Governor had her tied to a chair in a room where he was torturing her." Michonne can feel the tears of anger pricking the back of her eyes, threatening to fall, but she couldn't let them. Not yet. She tells herself she's gotta make sure Andrea is safe first and then she can breakdown in privacy.

"Is she..." Tyreese can't even finish his sentence, the blonde was right the whole time.

"No, but she does need help and you are hindering me from getting her that help. No open the gates and let us pass."

"But Ty..."

Milton finally moves over and opens the gate wide, allowing Michonne to step through while handing her the keys. "It's that one right there", Milton says while pointing to a blue SUV. "Take care of her, and when the Governor comes for you... Kill him, you have to do it or else he will never stop."

Michonne opens the door and gently places Andrea inside before turning sadly back to Milton. "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider coming with us?"

"I have things I need to do here, but maybe we will meet again."

"Thank you, for helping me save Andrea."

"You can thank me by keeping her alive. God speed..."

Reviews?


	4. Chapter 4 : Holding Out For A Hero

Here's the newest Chapter :) Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews! those mean a lot to me!

Chapter 4: Holding Out For a Hero

Michonne tries to drive as quickly as she can towards the prison while trying not to jostle Andrea around too much. Her heart breaks at the site of her once strong companion, now looking broken and bruised in the seat beside her. "Andrea?" When she doesn't get an answer Michonne looks over to see if she can see the blondes chest moving as she breathes. "Andrea, I know your tired..." Michonne reaches over and places her hand on the other woman's leg causing her jump. Well atleast I know she's still alive.

"No! Don't!" Andrea sits up in a panic, eyes glancing around wide looking for danger. In her weak state she is still trying her hardest to push Michonne's hand away. Andrea sobs, "Please don't hurt me, please. I'm sorry!" She finally manages to push the hand off and even scratch Michonne lightly on the arm.

Michonne quickly pulls the SUV over and wraps her arms around the blonde the best she can from the drivers seat. "Hey, shh it's okay now. I've got you, I'm sorry I scared you. No one is going to hurt you, I promise."

"Michonne?" Sighing in relief Andrea slumps back into the seat, her body aching. "Where are we going?" Andrea takes a deep breath but grimaces when she feels the ache deep within her chest, she's never hurt so bad in her life. "My chest hurts really bad Michonne, like a 200 pound person is sitting on it."

"We are going to the prison to get you some help and then as soon as we can we are getting out of here." Michonne forces a smile for the blondes sake, not wanting to frighten her any more than she already is.

"They may not want me there, I've done horrible things and made even worse decisions. I brought the Governor into their lives...It's all my fault." The tears flow freely down her face and she makes no attempt to wipe them away. "Do you think they can ever forgive me, can you forgive me? Michonne I am so sorry I didn't..."

Michonne cuts Andrea off before she can even finish, wiping at the tears. "There's nothing to forgive Andrea, so don't worry your pretty little head about it. We are going to warn them and if they ask us to leave afterward then we will go. I always said we needed to head for the coast anyway, so if they send us away then we will do just that. Everyone makes mistakes, I'm sure they won't hold it against you."

"Mich...You don't understand, I brought that monster into all of our lives and now he is going to try and kill us all." Andrea sniffles lightly and thinks of all of friends back at the prison, all in danger now.

"I won't let that happen, he will get to you over my dead body."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep Michonne... There are no promises of tomorrow, hell we don't even have the promise of death anymore! So I need you to promise me something, just one thing. If the time comes and I don't make it...I need you..."

Michonne feels the tears sliding down her face as she cuts the other woman off. "What? Don't talk like that Andrea. You are going to be just fine, I will make sure of it. You have a few cuts and bruises but nothing life threatening, Hershel will be able to fix you up. That's just the way it's gonna be, I won't loose you again. I can't. So just settle down before you aggravate your injuries, we aren't sure of the extent of them yet."

"But if I'm not, if I'm not okay and I die... I need you to promise me that you'll take care of it before I get the chance to hurt anyone. I don't want to become one of those things, I don't want to kill anyone."

"I wouldn't be able to kill you Andrea." Michonne can't even fathom the thought of taking Andrea's life, even it was was the life after death.

"I would already be dead, you know this! I don't want to become one of those brainless monsters Michonne, killing everything in my path. I've gotten this far into the apocalypse without killing a living person, and I would like to keep that record clean even in death. Maybe there's a heaven and if there is...I want to go there."

"Andrea, I..." By now Michonne is practically sobbing and she does nothing to try and stop herself, who cares if it makes her look weak, the thought of never seeing Andrea again rips her heart into tiny pieces. "I can't promise you that, we spent months together just you and me. It would be like killing a piece of my soul."

"Promise me!"

"Okay Andrea, I promise. It's not gonna happen but if it does then I promise I will take care of it. I won't let you walk around soulless." Michonne's heart breaks at the thought of losing Andrea just after finally having the woman back in her life. "I can't lose you Andrea so you hold on!"

"I just want to say I'm sorry, for everything. I should have listened to you, I should have left with you when you asked me to. Letting you walk away from me that day was a big mistake, if I had just listened frm the start then we wouldn't be where we are now."

"Andrea...Why are you talking like it's the end for you? Were you bitten?" Michonne looks over at the blonde to see if she can see any visible bite marks. She's berating herself for not checking closer for any bite marks.

"I.." Andrea closes her eyes and thinks back to the dream she had, it was still so fresh in her memory and it had seemed so incredibly real. The dream where Michonne and the group had come to save her but they were too late. Walker Milton had already feasted upon her flesh, she was already infected and the fever was burning her out before they got the chance to save her. She wanted to end it herself in the end and they had let her, a single shot to the head as Michonne sat by her side. Even in the end Michonne had refused to leave, saying she wasn't going anywhere as the tears came in abundance.

In her dream she had explained the reasons behind her actions, how she just didn't want anyone else to die. They all seemed to understand, even Rick had gotten a little weepy when she said she had tried. But in the end it had ended her life but she was okay with that because Amy would be waiting for her on the other side. Amy, Dale, Jim, Jacqui, Shane, Sophia, Lori and maybe even her parents would be there waiting. So it wasn't so bad, her only regret in the dream had been leaving Michonne. She had said she was glad Michonne had found the group, that she needed them so she wouldn't be on her own.

Michonne thinks she finally understands, "Oh god, you were bitten weren't you?" Michonne feels as if her life just ended in that very second, her heartbeat sped up, she broke out in a cold sweat and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Now she understood why Andrea was acting this way, she knew she had been bitten and that it was only a matter of time before she would die and then turn. She was making sure Michonne wouldn't let her become a walker.

Andrea's hand moves to her left shoulder pulling the collar of her vest down, she holds her breath almost scared her hand would come back covered in blood. But instead her hand comes into contact with smooth skin, no blood and no bite mark. "I wasn't bitten..."

"Oh thank god, don't scare me like that!" Michonne sighs deeply and and pulls back onto the road. "What were you pausing for dramatic effect or something?"

"No, I was just thinking about a dream I had while I was passed out in that room. It really has me shaken to the core."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Nothing much to talk about...Philip had stabbed Milton and locked him in the room with me, stating that he would turn and then kill me. Milton had left pliers by the chair so that I could get loose, but I struggled picking them up and then with the wires at my wrists. He bit me on the shoulder just as I released myself and before I was able to kill him. You and the gang showed up shortly after...But it was too late. I was already burning with the fever of infection, I couldn't be saved."

"But it was just a dream Andrea, you weren't bitten. And we aren't ever going back to that place again."

"Why did you come back?"

Michonne takes a deep breath knowing Andrea was going to ask this question sooner or later. She had hoped it would be later, much later. "I came to be with you."

"My hero, I had been waiting for you." Andrea gives a small smile and then leans her head back and closes her eyes. "You know I was coming back to the prison to warn you guys, I was so close. I could see Rick on the guard tower. I knew about the deal Phillip had made with Rick..."

"What happened?"

"The Governor got me just as I was lifting my arm to wave at Rick, he tackled me to the ground and then drug me back to Woodbury. I've been locked in that room ever since, I was so close though."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I couldn't save you from this. You know I would have given my life to save you."

Andrea opens her eyes and gives Michonne a small smile. "I know Mich, I know. Maybe one day you can explain to me how you managed to get away and back in the gates of Woodbury. Last I heard they were handing you over as a peace treaty."

"When you are feeling better I will tell you anything you want to know."

Meanwhile back at Woodbury the Governor has returned, and he wasn't happy. "Milton?!" Those assholes at the prison had deceived him, sent Merle to kill him. And to make matters worse when he went in to take his anger out on his beautiful blonde she was nowhere to be found. He had been looking forward to breaking her, in so many ways.

Milton rolls his eyes when he hears his name being called. "In here Phillip." A few seconds later Phillip is entering the room and slamming the door behind him. "Is there something wrong? You look upset."

"Those bastards!" Phillip grabs the first thing he sees and slings it at the wall, smiling as it crashes to the ground.

Milton gives a smug smile but makes sure it's not where Phillip can see it. "I'm guessing the exchange didn't go as planned?"

"They sent Merle to take us out, can you believe that? Of course I didn't let that happen but he did manage to take out some of us. But in the end I killed him, he was a traitor and he deserved to die. Just as all those people at the prison do and I will be the one personally delivering their souls to hell. Especially that bitch who took my eye, but I'll save her for last."

"I'm sorry it didn't go as planned." Milton was indeed sorry but he was sorry Merle didn't kill Phillip is what he had really wanted to say.

Phillip lunges and grabs Milton by the throat slamming his body hard into the wall. "I am going to ask you this one time, where is Andrea? Did you release her?"

"Phillip what are you talking about? Release her from where? I haven't seen Andrea since she left, remember? You said you couldn't find her when you went searching." This was the second time in one day he found himself in the same situation. "I think you are mistaken."

Phillip grins and laughs mechanically, "Oh I found her alright. I brought her back here and tied her up, I was going to have a lot of fun with that one."

"She was here, all this time? You lied, why would you want to kill her? She went to her old group on your behalf, to try and come to an understanding. You are sick! There are people in this town who are depending on you, but you waste your time on this?"

"She was going back to that prison to warn them of our plan, a plan you informed her of! Everything would have been fine had you just kept your mouth closed. She would still be here and I would have that bitch tied up instead of Andrea! So really you only have yourself to blame, you may as well have killed her yourself. And I am doing whats best for our people, I am protecting them. Those people at the prison are a great threat to what we have here and so they all need to be taken care of, we have already discussed this!"

"Well in that case I'm glad Michonne came to save her!" Milton regrets the words as soon as they pass over his lips and he cringes as he waits for a response."

"WHAT?! You let that bitch in here and then you let her take Andrea?! You will pay for your betrayal with your life, but not before you help me kill them all."

"Phillip why are you doing this? Killing the living, torturing people? This isn't you! We have a good thing going here, you are going to ruin it all because of your vengeance! What happened to the man I use to know? You were such a good man Phillip, why?"

Phillip takes the time to slam Milton harder into the wall a few times, "Why? WHY?! Because that bitch killed my daughter, the only thing I had left in this whole world! She took her away from me and for that she must pay! And now you tell me she took Andrea as well!"

"Phillip, Penny was already gone. She..."

Phillip cuts him off by slamming him hard against the wall one final time. "She was not gone! Liar! She was not gone, she was here!"

Milton can see tiny stars in his vision, he would probably lose consciousness soon from the blows to the head. "Phillip, please. Andrea wasn't yours to keep either, she only wanted to be with the people she loved. The people that you've kept her away from."

Phillip finally drops Milton to the floor, "You stay here! I'm going to settle this once and for all. Tomorrow we are going to end this and you my friend are going to be front and center. And don't even think about trying to leave, someone will be watching you very closely."

"No I won't, I won't kill anyone."

Phillip lunges again grabbing Milton by his collar and jerking him to his feet. "You'll do as I say and that is final! Tomorrow we will go to that prison and we will take them all down, every single one of them."


	5. Chapter 5 : Cry For You

Here's the next chapter! hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it! Don't forget to review!

Chapter 5 : Cry For You

Michonne sighs contently when the prison finally comes into her sight, she felt as if she had been driving forever. The sun was starting to make it's descent and the skies are painted in amazing purples, oranges and pinks. Looking at it now Michonne can almost pretend they were living in a much different world. The ride had been quiet after Andrea had finally dozed off from exhaustion and it had given Michonne plenty of time to think. Sure she could have listened to one of the many CD's but she rather enjoyed the silence.

Michonne felt like she was finally back where she belonged, with the person she loved. Sure she hadn't exactly admitted her feelings to Andrea but they were finally home free. Looking over at her passenger she can't help but smile at the peaceful look on the other woman's face. "Andrea?" Michonne does her best to raise the woman from her slumber in the gentlest way possible, not wanting to frighten her again and have to relive the last time Andrea awoke in a panic. "Andrea sweetie we are here, it's time to wake up." When Andrea still doesn't awaken Michonne rubs her shoulder gently and then her arm, "Hey Andrea? Rise and shine sleepy head." Michonne lets a few tears slide down her face, her worry for the woman she loved was getting the best of her.

Not wanting to panic Michonne drives right up the the gates where Carol and Beth are standing, thankfully there were only a few walkers. If they were quick they could get inside without even having to worry with them. Michonne quickly rolls down her window and shouts to the women on the other side of the gate. "Open the gate! Andrea has been hurt, I need to get her to Hershel as soon as possible." Michonne places her hand on the woman's bare neck almost recoiling from the heat her hand is met with. Was Andrea lying about not being bitten? No, Andrea would never lie to her about that. "Hang on Andrea, don't you dare die on me! There's still so much I need to tell you, just hold on please. For me please, I'm begging you!" How could she have gotten a fever so quick? Before when Michonne had carried her through the streets of Woodbury, Andrea's face had felt cool against the skin of her chest.

Carol quickly slides the gate open only wide enough for the car to enter and then closes it quickly while using the machete to take out one of the walkers that had gotten a little too close for comfort. "Did she say Andrea? Why is Andrea here?" Carol moves to the passenger side of the car and jerks the door open roughly before the car can even come to a complete stop. "What happened?" Carol reaches over and rubs her palm across the side of the beautiful woman's face. "Michonne she's burning up." Carol looks over at Beth motioning with her head to come closer. "Beth go and get Rick so we can get her inside." Beth doesn't move from her spot, staring sadly at Andrea. "Quickly!"

"No, I can do it. Just run ahead and let them know we are here..." Michonne has exited the car as well and is kneeling down so she is level with Andrea. "Andrea? Time to wake up baby, come on let me see those beautiful eyes." Still nothing and Michonne can feel the tears welling behind her eyes yet again. "Andrea, come on please! Don't you do this to me, not now! We are safe now, so I need you to wake up!" The tears are starting to slide down her face and she makes no notion to wipe them away.

"Michonne what happened to her?" Carol lets the tears fall for her friend as well, the same friend who had stood up to Ed when she herself didn't have the courage. "Was she bitten?" The thought of Andrea becoming a walker broke her heart.

"When Merle let me go I went to Woodbury instead of coming back here, I wanted to be with Andrea." Michonne lets the tears slide down her face even more, now she could cry. They had made it out of that hellhole alive, now she could afford to breakdown. "He...That bastard had her tied to a chair in this fucked up torture chamber type room. I don't even want to think about the things he would have done to her had I not gotten her out of there." Michonne is still trying in vain to wake the blonde, maybe she was just exhausted. "But she hasn't been bitten, she's just exhausted and she's lost a lot of blood, especially from the wounds on her wrists. I have no clue what that bastard did to her, she's been in and out of consciousness. I was so determined to get her out of there and safe that I didn't ask. I figured she would tell me when she's ready, that is if she ever is ready."

"What?" Carol gasps as her hand goes to her mouth. "Who?" Taking a closer look Carol can see the extent of the damage. The deep gash above one perfectly shaped eyebrow, the blood and dirt caked skin and hair even the angry gashes that wrapped around each delicate wrist.

"Who else? The Governor!" Michonne gently picks Andrea up and heads towards the doors of the prison, making sure to keep the blanket wrapped tightly around her. "Can we talk about this more after we make sure Andrea is gonna be okay? I can't get her to wake up, this isn't good. We were talking before we got here, I'm not sure she was all there though. She spoke of a dream she had and I'm convinced she thought she was still dreaming or something. She said she couldn't get the dream out of her head, apparently she had been bitten in her dream and killed herself. We had gotten there too late, I seen her moving her hand across her neck and shoulder as we were talking. I'm assuming she was searching for a bite mark."

"That's horrible." Carol gives her friend a sympathetic look, she had never seen her look so broken and weak. "That cut above her eye will need stitches, why would he do this to her?" Carol frowns, why would anyone want to hurt Andrea? She was such an amazing person. "I thought they were...You know..."

Michonne glares at Carol, the thought of Andrea with that monster made her want to puke. "Because he is a sick bastard that's why!" Michonne pushes through the doors finally and comes face to face with basically the entire group, they have a bed waiting for Andrea. "Hershel, can you help her?"

Hershel looks at the fear in the usually strong woman's face before he goes over to Andrea, who still hasn't woken up. Placing his hand on her forehead, he frowns deeply. "She's feverish, is that from..."

Michonne cuts the man off before he could say what everyone was thinking. "She wasn't bitten, I wouldn't have brought her back here had that been the case. She's probably got an infection from her wounds, they need to be cleaned and stitched. The wires he had used to tie her were rusty and dirty and I don't know how long she's been like this."

"Can you just lay her down on the bed, so I can get a closer look? Has she been able to tell you anything?"

"Not much really, just how she was sorry and..." The tears make it hard for her to continue as she lays Andrea down and then gives her a small kiss on her forehead. "Do you think she will be okay?"

"Can't be for sure, her fever is high. Her wounds are deep and need stitching. I will do all I can, just pray you got to her in time. The best I can do is clean them, we don't have antibiotics here if it is an infection."

"Thank you." Michonne gives Hershel a small smile before turning to Rick. "We need to talk."

Rick gives her a nod as they walk towards the back of the cells out of earshot. "I just wanted to say...I changed my mind about turning you over to the Governor but Merle had already left with you. Daryl says he let you go, how did you end up back in Woodbury? Did you know what Merle had planned and that he's dead now? Daryl had to put him down, said he had been shot through the heart."

"Rick we don't have time for pleasantries, it doesn't matter what happened. What matters is that the Governor is coming for us, all of us. Are you staying to fight or are you leaving? Me and Andrea spoke of heading for the coast, that could be an option for all of us. Milton said he would try and hold him off as long as possible, buy us some time... But we don't have time to underestimate this monster. Andrea is in no condition to fight so I want her to be as far away from the danger as possible, even if that means having some of the others go ahead of us while we handle things here. I want to take him down Rick, I want to watch him as he takes his last breath. I want him to beg for his life and know that it's in vain. You can stay and help me or you can leave, all I ask is that if you do leave... I need you take Andrea with you." Michonne looks over her shoulder to find Hershel cleaning the other woman's wounds, "She's all I care about right now. I need for her to be safe Rick, do you understand?"

"I understand and no we are staying, we will fight beside you. We are in this together. Do you think he will come for Andrea?" Rick looks over Michonne's shoulder to she Hershel and Carol working diligently over the fallen blonde.

"I'm sure he will but I won't give him the chance to get anywhere near her, we need to have a plan. He may want Andrea but he want's me more, I killed his daughter."

"You...killed his daughter?" Rick gives the woman a disbelieving look, "Why would you do something like that? I thought he only wanted you because you took his eye, he never mentioned a daughter."

Michonne holds her hand up in the stop motion and shakes her head. "It's wasn't like that, she was already dead. He had her chained in a closet, she was a walker. Apparently he was convinced a part of her was still there."

"I see, well we were talking about making it look as if we had left and then ambush them when they least expect it. The other cell blocks still have walkers, we could use that to our benefit. Lure them into the block with the walkers and lock them inside. Now that Andrea is here we can use her to get..."

Michonne cuts the man off with fire behind those brown eyes. "Please tell me you aren't suggesting what I think you are."

"Well..."

"You think we should use Andrea as bait? Have you lost your mind? Don't you think she's been through enough already? How could you even think of doing this?" Michonne can feel the rage filling her body, not only rage but hate.

"Michonne, I just think that..."

"No! Look at her Rick, she can't even defend herself! What if something goes wrong and we can't protect her? I have to protect her this time, I won't give him the chance to hurt her again. I thought she was your friend!"

"You're right, you're right I'm sorry. She is my friend, I'm just trying to think of a way to lure him in..." Rick bows his head in shame, what was he thinking? First he wanted to sacrifice Michonne and now he wanted to use Andrea like she was a piece of meat. "I'm sorry, I was way out of line. I..." Rick looks up at the stairs and takes a deep breath when Lori is standing at the top staring down at him.

"We can think of another way other than using Andrea. That's just not gonna happen."

Rick tears his eyes away from his wife and then shakes his head hoping it wold snap him back to reality. "How long do you think we have before he comes? Days? A week?" Taking a risk he glaces at the stairs again, but Lori wasn't there.

"I'm thinking more along the lines of hours, he's a loose canon. He probably won't take the time to form a plan, he will just go in blind. But if it's bait you are looking for then I'll do it, just leave Andrea out of it!"

"You would sacrifice yourself for her?" Rick gives Michonne a dazed look, not understanding how deeply the woman cared for Andrea.

"Oh you mean the way you had planned to sacrifice me to save the people here? Yes, I would. Isn't that what you do for the people you care about? Make sacrifices? I know the world has changed but some things never will. You love these people here yes?"

"I'm sorry, I told you we..." Rick feels horrible that he had actually considered sending someone to their death just to save others. Sure he loved each person in his group but how could he have thought killing someone was the right choice.

"Changed your mind? Yeah I know but I'm not gonna change mine. Andrea deserves to live, her being alive makes this world of hell a better place. She..." Michonne stops as if she is in deep thought, "But then again we could just go after him. It would give us the upper hand, he wouldn't be expecting us. We could probably catch him off guard and take him down before he knows what hit him."

"You look like you are about to fall out at any moment, plus I know you are worried about Andrea. Let's take tonight and get some rest... You should spend some time with her, make sure she's going to be okay. Tomorrow when we have a clear head we will sit down and come up with a plan, going in like this will end badly."

"We don't have time to get rest, he's coming for us! We have to be ready or else we will all die here!" Michonne gives Rick one last look before heading back over to where Hershel and Carol were still working on her love.

Back at Woodbury a whistling Governor makes his way towards Milton's room, stopping for a few minutes to talk to the guard he had posted at the door. "Has he tried anything? Begging and pleading maybe?"

"No Sir, he's been quiet. There's were some noises earlier from him moving around but those died out an hour or so ago."

Phillip gives a nod and then opens the door to the room, looking around for the other man. "Milton, come out come out where ever you are. You can't hide from me and you can't get out of doing this with me. We started this together and we are going to end it the same way." He checks the small bathroom and closets before heading back to the main room. And that's when he sees it, the small is window open. "That son of a bitch!" Rushing out of the room he grabs the guards arm and gives it a shake. "He's gone! You let him get away, I told you to make sure he stayed in this room!"

"But Sir, I haven't left this spot all night. There's no way he got by me." The man can see the rage in Phillips eyes, he knew he would probably lose his life over the mistake.

"The window, he went out the damn window! Go find Cesar and ya'll go find him! Look at any routes there are to the prison, that's where he is headed! Do not let him reach the prison! Bring him back to me alive!"

"What if he's already made it to the prison?"

"Then he will die with them! Don't go after them though, leave them for me!" Phillip lets go of the mans arm and stalks back down the hall, fists clenched at his sides. Coming to his own room he enters and slams the door behind him. "How dare he disobey me!"

"Who are you upset with this time Phillip?" The voice is tinged with sarcasm and even a little hate. "Seems you have a bad habit of trusting those who are going to betray you here lately, maybe you need better judgement when it comes to people."

Phillip jerks around and comes face to face with none other than the person he had been looking for. "Milton, I told you to stay in your room. Why are you sneaking out windows and into other peoples home?"

"Yes well, I had some things I needed to take care of." Milton gives Phillip a smile knowing it would only anger him farther.

"You keep going against me and I will be forced to kill you before I kill those people at the prison."

"You wouldn't do that, you want me to be there too bad. You want to make a point by making me be there." Milton is sitting at the table, hands folded in front of him. "Why don't you sit down?" Milton motions towards the other side of the table where a glass of whiskey sits waiting. The glass in front of him is still empty, he had set it up this way on purpose. "Have a drink, take your mind off of things. Let's sit and talk like we use to."

"You seem very calm...Still trying to think of a way to save Andrea and those people? Give it up, there's nothing you can do to save them. We are going to that prison and we are going to take down each and every one of them. And that includes Andrea." Phillip sits down and takes the glass in front of him but stops just as it reaches his lips. Smiling he pours the dark liquid on the ground before taking the other glass and filling it to the top straight from the bottle. "You think I'm stupid?" Phillip glares at Milton with his one eye before drinking deeply from the glass.

"No, that's the last thing I think." Milton smirks to himself on the inside, that's right Phillip drink up.


	6. Chapter 6 : Don't Cry

Just wanted to say thanks to my readers and for those who left reviews...I love those!

Chapter 6: Don't Cry

Milton sits back and waits as Phillip drinks glass after glass of the whiskey, it would only be a matter of time before the drugs he had slipped into the bottle would start to take the desired effect. "Phillip what are your plans when you get to the prison? You know we can't just go in without a plan, they would slaughter us. How many people are you taking and when are you planning on leaving?"

"So you've had a change of heart then?" Phillip grins at the other man thinking he now had the upper hand. "I knew all I needed to do was show you a little tough love and you would come around eventually."

"Of course, it was only a matter of time. I was only confused by the things that Andrea had put into my head. She pitted us against each other, made us question each others motives but in the end I saw you were right." Milton had slipped enough tranquilizer in that bottle to take down a whole herd of horses, now all he had to do was just sit back and wait. Too bad for Phillip that he had poured out the first drink, that had been the only one that wasn't drugged. Phillip had thought he was so smart but Milton had out witted him this time, if the situation hadn't been so dire he might would give himself a pat on the back.

"I..." Phillip shakes his head hoping to clear some of the fog that seems to have slipped it's way into his brain. "They deserve to die." His words are slow and slurred, "You know." Phillip rubs his good eye with the back of his hand. "I don't feel right."

"Yes Phillip I know, but you know what else I know?" Milton can't help but smile at this small victory, sure the Governor would awake soon enough and his rage would more than likely be doubled. But by then Milton would have finished what he had intended to do. He would save those at the prison and he would help them bring down his former friend. And so what if he died while doing this, he was helping people and in his book that was a good enough reason to die. He could die happy and he could feel like he had repented for the things he had turned a blind eye to where Phillip was concerned.

"Umm." By now the drugs are in full effect, vision blurred and mind fuzzy. Phillip's head was swimming and things looked as if they had a glow about them. "What...What did you do to me?" Phillip takes one last look at the empty glass and gasps, "Poison."

"No my friend, not poison. That would be too good for you. But you know how you feel as though you've just been given a truck load of sleeping pills? Well it's simple really... It's because you pretty much have been, only in liquid form. Works quicker that way, I bet right now you are wishing you didn't give me access to all those medications. I also know that your eyes are about to close and that in just a few seconds your head will slam down on this table. Don't worry it won't kill you but you will be out for a long while. That's going to give me enough time to make it to the prison and do you know what I'm going to do once I'm there? I'm going to save them from the monster that you have become. And do you know what the best thing about this whole deal is?" Milton gives his former friend a sad smile, this man wasn't the man he had grown to love and trust. The man he had looked up to in so many ways was gone.

"Mi...Milton. What have you done?"

"The best part is that you sent your best men out to look for me and if I know you like I think I do... Then you told them not to come back without me, would have been smart to look for me around here before sending them off. Now you're here all alone and by the time they find you I'll have made it safely to my destination. I'm not stupid enough to think you won't come for us because I know you will, in fact that is something I am looking forward to."

"I'm...Kill..." Phillip keeps shaking his head and rubbing his eye as if it would slow the effects of the drug he was given.

"Yes you probably will kill me but not before I warn the people at the prison. So by that time I guess it won't really matter any more now would it. I'll still get what I want, you will still be brought down."

Phillip tries reaching for Milton as the last of his strength drains from his body. "You... You did this to me!" Of all the people he had expected to turn against him, Milton had never been on that list.

"Yes I did this but it's best not to fight it, just let it take you. You know Phillip it didn't have to come to this, but you let this world change you. Something we both promised to not let happen to us, we spoke of making this place a safe haven for the wary survivors of this world. A place where people could come and feel safe but you've turned it into something evil, killing the living and allowing the dead to continue living. I know you loved Penny, she was your daughter but she was gone and you just couldn't let her go. You refused to put her down and so Michonne took matters into her own hands. She did Penny a favor, she finally put her out of her misery. It was something you yourself should have done a long time ago. You've let this hate of Michonne taking Penny turn you into a monster. And I sat back and let it happen and for that I am sorry..But not for this, I've only done what you have always taught me. You taught me to do whatever it takes to get what I want and do you know what I want most Phillip?" When Phillip just stares at him and doesn't answer Milton continues.

"I want to see you go down. I don't need to be the one to do it, I'll be happy just to witness it." Phillip's head finally lowers to the table and Milton can't help but smile to himself, he had actually done it. Milton waits a few more minutes to make sure the other man is completely out and then grabs the bag he had packed for his trip. The blonde hadn't looked so good when Michonne carried her out so he got some things they may need to help her. Plus he had already took several weapons and stashed them in the truck he planned on taking. The prison people needed the supplies more than the people in Woodbury, they had injured people. "Time to repent for your actions Milton, you have to make things right again."

Back at the prison Michonne sits at the edge of Andrea's bed, wiping the sweat from the blonde's forehead. The fever had yet to break and not even the cool water seemed to help. "Andrea, you have to wake up. You can't leave me all alone in this world, I don't want to face this world without you. I can't face it without you, it's too hard." Michonne silently wipes at her tears before she slides in the bed beside the blonde, needing the comfort of feeling the body next to hers. The heat coming from the other woman's body is almost unbearable but Michonne wraps her arms around Andrea anyway. She had never really been the type to show affection but with Andrea if almost felt natural, being this close to the other woman warmed her frozen heart. "You know I would do anything for you Andrea and I promise I am going to bring the Governor down for the things he has done to you. It may be the last thing I'll ever do but that's okay too, at least then I will know that he can never hurt you again. I should have never let him get close enough to hurt you in the first place. All of this is my fault and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. But for me to do that you have to open your eyes and live! I'm here Andrea, I'm right here and I swear I will never leave you again. We need you here Andrea, not only me but the whole group."

Carol overhears Michonne talking so she waits a few seconds before she walks into the cell, not wanting to interupt but also wanting to check on her friend. "Hey, any change? I don't mean to just barge in like this but...Everyone is worried about her and they want answers. I don't have the answers to give, I only know what you've told me and even thats's not much." Carol leans down and touches her lips to the blonde's forehead. "How is she holding up?"

Michonne wipes at her tears, it was too late to try and remove herself from the bed. "No...I...You're fine, I was just talking to her. Trying to get her to wake up, make her realize that we need her here." Michonne sighs and goes to get off the bed so she can have a conversation with Carol.

"Hey it's okay, no need to get up. Relax I just wanted to check in on her, she's been through a lot huh?" Carol sits down on the other side of the bed and takes Andrea's weak hand into her own. It seems odd to think of Andrea as weak, weak was one thing that that the blonde was not. Andrea was in truth one of the strongest people she knew, Carol had thought so from the beginning. Andrea was so selfless, volunteering to go on runs that had taken her away from her baby sister and almost gotten her killed.

Michonne settles back into the bed and pulls Andrea's body back into her arms. "More than one person should, I said horrible things to her when I left her. Told her she would only slow me down but really I only wanted to fall to my knees and beg her to come with me. Maybe if I had stayed and talked to her about how I was feeling then she wouldn't be in this condition now. I'm sure if I had only taken to the time to explain my reasons behind wanting to leave then she would have come willingly with me. You know what she asked me? She asked if I thought you all could ever forgive her... If I could ever forgive her. She feels the need to ask for forgiveness, can you believe that? I was the one who walked away and here she is bleeding and broken, asking me for forgiveness." Michonne wipes repeatedly at the tears streaming down her face.

"Hey don't cry." Carol gets up and moves to wrap Michonne in a small embrace before returning to the other side. "We all say things we don't mean at times, I'm sure she doesn't hold a grudge against you. I mean we did leave her at that farm and she still tried to help us. All that really matters is that she is here with us now. No need in beating yourself up over it, it's best not to dwell on it. You can't change it now. And maybe if you had stayed you both would have lost your lives. You leaving probably saved you both actually."

"Andrea loves you all, she told me you all thought she had been taken down when the farm was over run. She knows you didn't leave her intentionally. She never stopped looking for you, but then she got sick and I was so scared I was going to lose her.

"She saved my life that night, did she ever tell you that?" Carol smiles fondly at the blonde, recalling how brave she seemed rushing in to save her from a grisly demise. "If it weren't for her then I wouldn't be here today and to be honest that wasn't the first time she'd stepped up in my defense. My husband...Well he wasn't the nicest person and she had stood up to him on my behalf, she's a part of my family. Sophia...My daughter was all I had left but then she was taken as well. I had wanted nothing more than to join my daughter in death...But Andrea helped me, weather she was aware of it or not."

"Andrea never really told me much about how it was at the beginning, even though it was just the two of us for almost 8 months. All she said was that she was at a camp outside of Atlanta with several survivors. She also mentioned that it was attacked but she didn't exactly go into detail about it. Some nights she would wake up crying for someone named Amy, but when I asked her about it she refused to talk about it." Michonne places a kiss on blonde hair, the way she had done numerous times when trying to comfort her companion. "Do you happen to know who Amy is? I assume it was someone close to her...Did she lose someone close to her?"

"Haven't we all?" Carol's mind drifts once again to her sweet Sophia, she can see her stumbling out of that barn almost every time she closes her eyes. She can still hear that final gun shot that had ended her daughters life for the second time.

"You're right, we have all lost people that we love. You know who Amy is don't you?" Michonne can't help but feel jealous that this women knew things about Andrea that she didn't. But then again Michonne hadn't been forthcoming about her past either, it just seemed better to not talk about it. Andrea had asked her several times about the walkers she kept on a chain but she always dodged the question, not wanting to open old wounds. Maybe not talking about it made it hurt less, she couldn't really be sure. Was there really anything that could make this world hurt less?

Carol lets a few tears fall for Amy, she had been taken too soon and it had almost broken Andrea to the point to where she had wanted to end her life at the CDC. "Yes, but I think it would be best to let Andrea tell you about Amy. It's not really my story to tell. She will tell you when she's ready, Amy is a sore subject for Andrea."

Trying desperately to change the subject, "So how are things looking out there?" Michonne had wanted to be outside and keeping watch but the others had insisted she stay in with Andrea. In end she had agreed not wanting Andrea to wake up alone, Michonne had wanted to be there when those beautiful eyes opened.

"The same, they haven't seen or heard anything out of the Governor. Rick and Daryl think it would be best to have someone posted at all times, that way we can see them coming. But so far it's just the walkers out there." Carol looks from Andrea and then back to Michonne, she can see the love radiating off her. "Does she know?"

"I'm sorry?" Michonne is startled by the question her mind screaming for her to end the conversation now before she did something stupid like spilling her guts to this woman that she barely knew.

"Does she know that you're in love with her?"

"I'm not..." Michonne feels her heart break from denying her love for Andrea but her mind is screaming deny, deny! Damn her heart and mind! Always fighting for control over her emotions, usually the heart always won out. Especially where Andrea was concerned. She truly did love the other woman with everything she is.

Carol laughs and rolls her eyes at the brown eyed woman. "Oh really?"

"Yes?" Michonne is starting to feel uncomfortable with the looks she is receiving, like this woman could see right through her facade. Was she really that transparent?

"Is that suppose to be a statement or a question?" Carol has a grin on her face that she can't seem to wipe off. "Because it sounded a lot like an unsure question to me. I'm not blind you know... I can clearly see how you feel, it's written all over your face every time you look at her. Not to mention you admitted earlier that you went back to Woodbury because you wanted to be with her. I find it all very romantic to be honest."

"I... Of course I wanted to be with her, she was all I had for a long time. We had each others back."

"Umm hmm I see... And you're gonna tell me that's all it was? Support? Why are you denying this? I'm not here to judge, I only want to know the truth." Carol tries to give the woman a reassuring smile, letting the other woman know she would accept them.

Michonne sighs deeply before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "No she doesn't know, I haven't had the chance to tell her yet."

"Well what are you waiting on?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe for her to be awake?" Michonne gives Carol a look that says isn't it obvious.

Carol catches the look that the other woman is giving her but refuses to let her off the hook that easy. "Well yes that would be the obvious reason now but... Why didn't you tell her before? Were you scared she wouldn't feel the same?"

"To be honest, I only just realized my feelings myself. I may have realized it before but I've just now accepted it to be love and not just friendship. I mean I think I knew before we got to Woodbury but it didn't seem to matter because she was so taken with...Him." Michonne spits the words out with venom. "She chose to stay there and I didn't want to admit my feelings because I knew it would hurt even more when she stayed behind. It was easier to be mad at her, not admitting my real feelings made it easier for me to leave."

"And look where that got you! But you are going to tell her right? Now that she's back here with us and away from him."

"I don't know, I don't want to lose her friendship if she doesn't feel the same. I'd rather have her friendship than nothing at all. I don't want her to ask me to leave, that would break my heart."

"You have to tell her!" Carol hadn't meant to but she found herself raising her voice at the woman before her. "Look...In this world that we are living in now we aren't promised another day, you can't not tell her! If there is even a small chance that she may feel the same then you need to step up and tell her, she deserves to know and you both deserve to find some happiness in this crazy world. I'm sure she won't ask you to leave, that's ridiculous!"

Michonne looks down at the blonde in her arms and can't help but smile, "You're right. I'll tell her, as soon as she wakes up. Besides I don't think I can put it off any longer."

"Good I'm glad..." Carol is cut off by a loud commotion from outside, raised voices and was that a gunshot? "Do you hear that?"

Michonne removes herself from the bed as quickly as possible without disturbing Andrea. "Someone is out there!" Michonne grabs her katana that is in the corner of the cell throwing it quickly over her shoulder. "Stay here with Andrea! Do not leave her alone! If he is here then you don't leave her side!" With that said Michonne is out the door and out of view.


	7. Chapter 7 : Behind Blue Eyes

Okay guys heres a new chapter...It's after 2 am and i am beyond walking dead tired but i wanted to get this up. Please excuse any errors...im sure there are plenty

Chapter 7: Behind Blue Eyes

Michonne rushes down the stairs and outside to the prison courtyard, katana ready and adrenaline pumping through her veins. "Let the fun and games begin." She could hear the shouting before even reaching the door, the voices were angry. "Rick! Where are you?" Coming quickly around the corner she comes face to face with a panic ridden Milton, on his knees and hands behind his head. Daryl and Rick flanking him on each side, the man looked even more terrified than when Michonne herself had him pinned against the wall. "What are you doing here?" Michonne gives Rick and Daryl a nod and then kneels to eye level with the man. "You shouldn't be here, you are considered one of the bad guys after all. Rick and Daryl could have killed you at first sight."

"Almost did." Daryl's gruff voice is thick with hatred. "The only reason we didn't was because we saw that he was alone and we wanted answers.

"Yeah, they didn't now did they? I came here to warn you, he's coming soon." Milton is breathing hard and he's having a hard time getting his words out. "Can I please stand up? This is really uncomfortable and I'm not here to cause problems, I only came to talk to you." Milton winces as the gravel bites into his knees through his pants, "Can we not talk calmly? I'm not the bad guy here!

Michonne gives a nod and allows the man to stand. "Yes we are aware of that, but I was under the impression that you were trying to delay him not bring him to our front door. What happened to that plan? Better yet how did you manage to get out of there with your life? He knows that we have Andrea right?"

"Yes he knows and he is none to happy about that fact but I slipped tranquilizer in his whiskey, he's passed out right now in Woodbury. He made the mistake of sending his men out to look for me because he thought I had escaped. He locked me in my room but I got out through the window and hid in his room. Even if his men come back quickly it won't matter, Phillip will be in dreamland for a long while."

"Why didn't you just kill the bastard then?" Daryl comes up and gives Milton a shove to his shoulder, "Could have saved us a lot of trouble! He was at your mercy like a fish out of water and you didn't do anything? Have you lost your damn mind?"

"Phillip was once a good friend of mine, I couldn't kill him." Milton hangs his head in shame, still after all Phillip had done Milton could not be the one to end his life. Did that make him a coward? He wanted to see it happen, just didn't want to be the one to make it happen. "Besides I didn't want to take the pleasure of killing him away from Michonne."

"So you came here why?" Daryl is seething, wanting revenge for the death of his brother. "If you came here to talk us out of killing him then you've got another thing coming little man! That son of a bitch killed my brother! Not to mention he's dead set on killing each and every one of us in cold blood! He was the one who started this war, not us! He kept Maggie and Glen and tortured them, and all they were doing was trying to get supplies. They didn't deserve what the Governor did to them!"

Michonne looks to Daryl and holds her hand up asking him to give her a minute. "Milton... You know what we are going to do, you know what we have to do. He's a danger to us and we can't let him walk away. He killed Merle and he damn well tried to kill Andrea. You know what kind of man he is, why after everything do you still try and protect him? He would kill you without a second thought for helping us."

"I don't expect you to spare him, I came here to help not hinder you. I brought some medication for Andrea, took some other supplies as well. I'm not here asking for you to spare Phillip's life, I know just as well as you all what needs to be done. I'm not protecting him! I've only recently become aware of the man he really is. I'm on his list of people he wants to kill too, have you forgotten that he knows I was the one who let you go?"

"We are going to kill him Milton and if you don't want to be a part of that then I suggest you leave right now. Go back to Woodbury and hide until it's all over. I know you don't want the blood on your hands but blood will be spilled."

"I told you! I'm here to help you! You've got plenty of time to come up with a plan before Phillip wakes up and is clear headed enough to come after you! He had biters captured to release on you, I burned them! I've been trying to help ever since I realized Phillip wasn't going to let you live! I'm not like him, I only want to have a safe place to live in a world full of flesh eating monsters. I thought Woodbury could be that place but it can't. Not with Phillip being in charge."

"We don't need your help!" It was Rick who spoke up this time, "Don't you think you've helped enough? Look what you let him do to Andrea! He killed our people and he will pay for that with his life. So why don't you do us all a favor and go running back to tell him that! Tell him we will be here waiting on him!"

"I didn't know he had Andrea, I swear! I thought she was back here safe and sound! And since when is Merle considered one of your people, you all left him to die on top of that building in Atlanta! He had to cut off his own hand just to get off that building alive!"

"Hey, that's my brother you are talking about! He may have done things he shouldn't have but he came back here to help! He was trying to make things right!"

"And what the hell do you think I am trying to do?" Milton gives a smirk and turns his attention back to Michonne. "How is Andrea doing anyway?"

Michonne flinches at the mention of the blondes name, "She fine, she just needs to get some rest and then she will be fine." Michonne isn't sure who she is trying to convince more, herself or Milton. Every time Michonne closes her eyes she can see her love strapped to that damn chair.

"Oh really? Where is she then? No infection? Those wounds looked pretty deep to me. You know you are only hurting her more by not allowing me to help. We are standing out here arguing when we could be inside giving her the meds, you are only wasting time. Time she may not have much of!"

Michonne having had enough moves so her katana is at his throat once again, "That's enough! I'm not playing these games with you!" Michonne looks towards Rick and Daryl taking a deep breath before turning her head back to Milton. "This is what is going to happen, you said he was knocked out right? How long will he be this way?"

"It's hard to say, it all depends on how his body handles the drugs. Hours at the least, you have plenty of time. I brought some..."

Michonne cuts him off before he can finish. "Good. If what you say is true then me and you are going back to Woodbury, we are going to end it. I'll have enough time to get in and out without a battle. I'd be back before..."

"What? You can't, that's crazy!" Rick moves forward and grabs Michonne by the arm trying to pull her closer to him and away from the others. "Think about this! You can't just run right into what could be a trap! And what about Andrea? She will want you here when she wakes up!"

"What about Andrea? I'm doing this for her! I could go and be back before she even realizes I'm gone." Michonne glares at Rick and jerks her arm away. "No it's not crazy! And I did think about it, if I go there and end this then he won't come here. You all will be safe, Andrea will be safe. If you ask me it's a win win situation. No one else from this group will have to die Rick. Besides you had no problem sending me out there before, but this time you can have a clear conscience. You tried to stop me but I want to go, there's no blame on you this time!"

"I..." Milton can hear what's being said and he wanted to make it clear he's not leading them into a trap.

"If you know what's best for you, you'll keep your mouth shut!" Daryl grabs Milton's shoulder and forces him to his knees once again. "Now just stay quiet or I'll knock your teeth out!"

"Michonne, you don't know if he is telling the truth. They could be waiting there to ambush you, hell they could even be on their way here right now! This could be a trick, trying to separate us! We are stronger as a team, we need to stick together not run off by ourselves."

"Milton wouldn't lie to me, he is the one who helped me get Andrea out of that place."

"You trust him?" Rick looks over at the man on his knees and scowls.

Michonne looks over and sees nothing but truth in Milton's eyes. "Yes, I trust that was he is saying is true. If he says he wants to help, then I believe him. The more people we have on our side the better. Plus he knows if I find out he's lying to me then I will slit his fucking throat. Isn't that right Milton?"

"Ye...Yes." Milton has that look of fear in his eyes again, damn him for being so scared of these people!

"I'm not going to agree with this, it's a bad idea!"

"Rick I'm not asking you to agree, I'm just asking you to let me do what I think is right. Besides he's scared of the Governor, he knows first hand what kind of man he is. He's not lying to us. And so what if I don't come back, he will get me and no one else will have to suffer."

"And what happens when Andrea wakes up and you aren't here? How do you want us to explain to her that we just let you go out there alone?" Rick thinks of how Lori's death has affected him, the guilt he feels for having treated her so badly. "How can you say no one will suffer? Andrea will suffer plenty!

"Then don't let me go out alone, let's all go. If it's a trap we can still take him down, he won't be expecting all of us! Milton said his men aren't even there, he's like a sitting duck!"

"I just think..." Rick is cut off by the sound of motors and tires headed their way. "What is that?"

"Sounds like trucks, coming this way."

"They are coming, I told you he was lying!" Rick looks over at Milton and points his gun at his head.

As the noises get closer Daryl climbs to the top of the stairs to get a better look. "It looks like it's only one truck, can't tell how many people are inside though."

Rick jerks Milton up by the back of his shirt before giving him a hard shove towards the door. "You lied to us, you said we had time to form a plan before he came!"

"Yeah what is this, is it part of your sadistic plan?" Daryl keeps his eyes on the oncoming truck as he spits the words at Milton.

"You'll pay for this!"

"Rick! Rick, they aren't attacking, it looks like they are just teasing us or something. Like they want us to know they are there."

"The Governor's not with them, they are probably searching for me! You have to listen to me, I am telling the truth!"

"Well then, let's just give them what they want! Michonne..." Rick looks around for the woman but she is no loner standing beside him. "Damn it!" Rick shoves Milton harder towards the door, "Daryl did you see where Michonne went?"

"She was standing there just a second ago." Daryl takes one last look as the truck passes by before taking a deep breath. "Maybe she went inside, that probably what we should all do. We need to go and decide on what we need to do. They are gone and we need to make this decision as a group."

"She's gone after Phillip, no one could stop her from going." Milton knows no matter what Michonne would have went to Woodbury, with or without the group. "She's out for blood after what he did to Andrea."

Once they are inside, they can see that Michonne is indeed gone. "Okay guys listen up, there's some things we need.."

Carl steps up and cuts his dad off, "Who's this?" Raising his gun he readies himself to take the shot. "Isn't he a part of the Governor's team? What the hell is he doing here Dad?

"Carl, watch your mouth! You need to just calm down and lower your gun son. This is Milton, he's come here to help us. Michonne is gone after the Governor...Alone. I tried to talk her out of it but then I got distracted and she slipped out unnoticed. So now we all need to figure out what the next step should be."

"So what? We are letting the enemy in here with us now?" Carl gives his dad a disbelieving look but never lowering his gun. "He doesn't belong here!"

"Carl! I said you need to lower your gun...NOW!"

"You are gonna get us all killed!" Carl glares at his dad before lowering his gun and stomping away. "Just like with Mom and just like Shane! You ruin everything! I wish you had never come back!"

"Carl!" Rick looks down and shakes his head but Carl doesn't turn around.

"He didn't mean that Rick, he's just lashing out."

"Yeah I know Daryl but maybe one of us should go after her. She's not thinking clearly and that could get her killed. She doesn't have too much of a head start on us, we could probably catch up easily if we took a car."

"I don't think it will do any good, and I know if anyone can bring this man down then it's her. She's got vengance and pain on her mind and that is a deadly combination, but I can't really say that I blame her."

"You can't just leave her to face him alone!" It was Maggie who spoke up this time, knowing what kind of man they were dealing with. "He will kill her but he won't do it quickly, he will torture her first. You've seen what he is cabable of, first with me and Glen and now Andrea. It has to end somewhere."

"Michonne understands what she's walking into, we tried to talk her out of it but she was dead set on going. She thinks this is for the best, that way he doesn't come back here. She made the comment that she was doing this on her own and that our consciences could be clear."

"Rick, Michonne is part of this group now. Letting her sacrifice herself for us is wrong, we have to go and find her." Maggie doesn't really know the woman well but she did know that she's was one of the good people.

"She's not doing this for you guys, she's doing it for Andrea. Are you really that blind?" Milton can't believe they were sitting around having this conversation while Michonne is walking into her death.

Carol clears her throat making her presence known. "Andrea isn't doing so well, we need to go out and try and find some medicine to help kill the infection or else she won't make it. Her fever keeps getting higher and before long it will kill her. Anything would help at this point, even if it's just Tylenol or something."

Rick recalls Milton saying he brought supplies that would help Andrea. "Hey you! You said you had meds that could help her, will they stop the infection?"

"Yes but..."

Carol, not having heard the entire conversation earlier looks around for Michonne. "Where is Michonne?"

Milton takes que when nothing is said and walks up to Carol giving her a small bottle of pills and a tube of cream. "Here give her two of those pills, they will stop the infection before it gets too bad. The cream is just an antibiotic cream that will help her wounds to heal quicker. Do you have fresh bandages because I brought some of those as well. There are more supplies in Woodbury that we can take after Phillip has been dealt with."

"I asked a question. Where. Is. Michonne?" Carol looks around and notices all the guilty looks. "Rick?"

"Carol...Why don't you go give the medicine to Andrea and then we can talk." Rick pleads with the woman through his eyes. "The sooner she gets that in her system the better, Milton will go with you."

Once Carol is headed back to Andrea's cell Daryl turns back the group. "Rick I think I'm gonna go see if I can find her before she makes it to Woodbury...Convince her to come back so we can handle it together. I can try and talk some sense into her."

"Don't go far, it's gonna be dark soon and I don't want you out there blind."

"I'll go with him, watch his back."

"Maggie no..." Glen can't bare the thought of Maggie being put in danger because of that monster again. "You can't go back there, I won't allow it."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Daryl won't let anything happen to me, besides we are only going to look for Michonne. We aren't actually going to that place right?

"You don't have to do this Maggie." Glen takes Maggie's hand and places a kiss on the back of her knuckles.

"You're right, you go." When Glen doesn't say anything she continues, "Exactly. I'm going." Maggie gives him a small kiss on the lips before grabbing her gun and moving to Daryl's side. "Don't worry, I'll be careful I promise."

"Don't go anywhere near that town, just look for Michonne around it. If she makes it there before you find her then there's nothing we can do, she's on her own. You see the first sign of trouble you come straight back here. We can't take the risk of you two getting captured. We need all of our people here when he does actually come for us."

"I'll take the same route I did when I found Merle, we will be sure to keep out of sight." Daryl gets a far away look on his face when he mentions his brother. "Is it bad of me to say I hope she makes it to Woodbury before we find her? I hope she kills that bastard slowly and painfully then leaves him to turn. It would suit him well, his soul doesn't deserve peace that death would give him."

"Come on Daryl let's get going, we don't have much time and we are wasting daylight." Maggie pats Daryl on the shoulder knowing how the man feels after having lost a loved one to this new world.

Hershel who has remained quiet stops Maggie before she can get out the door. "Be careful out there and come back to us." He gives her a quick kiss on the forehead before sitting back down beside Beth, wrapping one of his arms tightly around her.

Maggie looks at her dad and Beth while smiling, "I always do."

About an hour after Daryl and Maggie make their exit, Rick makes his way to the cell that Andrea is in. "Hey Carol, were you able to get her to take those meds?"

"We had to force them down but they should do the trick. They haven't come back up yet so we are taking that as a good sign."

"That's good." Rick comes closer and can now see the wounds clearly for the first time. "How long before you think we will see a change?"

"A few hours maybe?" Milton looks up at Rick and gives him a wary smile, "I guess it just depends on how bad the infection had gotten. As soon as her fever goes down we should start to see a change, I'm hoping she wil wake up..." Milton looks at the worried expressions on both Carol and Rick's face. "Wow, you guys really are a family here. I thought we were all a family at Woodbury too."

"Yes, we take pride in our family. Each and every one of them, they each have their place." Rick smiles sadly but also remembers the other members of their family they had lost along the way. They had lost so many and that made his heart ache.

"Has she been awake at all? I mean since Michonne brought her back here? I'm not going to lie, that worries me some."

"Michonne said she was awake some on the drive back here but she's been like this ever since arriving. Speaking of..." Carol's gaze goes from Rick and then to Milton, "Are you going to tell me where she is? You avoided my questions earlier but now I would like for you to tell me the truth."

Carol directs her question at Rick who lowers his head to keep from having to look into the woman's eyes."She's headed back to Woodbury, Daryl and Maggie went after her about an hour or so ago. Don't worry they will bring her back."

"Well I sure hope they find her and bring her back! Andrea will be devastated if she wakes up and Michonne isn't here. I can't believe she would just up and leave like that, especially after the talk we had earlier."

"Yeah, they were pretty close I suppose..."

"You have no idea." Both Carol and Milton say it at the same time causing each of them to give off a small laugh.

A small cough from the bed turns their attention to the blonde. "Mich..." Tears slide hotly down Andrea's face as she tosses and turns in the bed. "Please don't leave me. I'm sorry...Please don't go!"

Carol's heart breaks at the sight of her friend in such turmoil. "She must be having a nightmare. Michonne mentioned she'd had one before."

"This could be a good thing, it could mean that her fever is finally starting to break." Milton reaches over and feels the woman's forehead and smiles when he feels less heat this time than he had before. "Yes I can feel a difference already, her fever is definitely going down. Maybe we can wrap the blankets tight around her, then she can sweat it out. It will good for her."

"Do you think we should wake her?"

"No, let's just let her wake up in her own time. We don't want to take the risk of frightening her."

Carol moves to the side of the bed and takes one of Andrea's hands. "Shhh, it's okay sweetie. No one here is going to hurt you. You are safe now, we won't let anyone hurt you."

The thrashing continues as Andrea falls deeper and deeper into her nightmare. "Mich, no wait..." The words are barely mumbled but the others could still make out every word. Finally after several minutes blue eyes open wide in a panic. Sitting up straight in bed Andrea gasps for breath, "Michonne?" Her eyes search wildly around the room, desperately seeking the face the other woman.

Rick goes to the other side and places his hand on the terrified woman's shoulder. "Andrea, just calm down. No one is going to hurt you here. Do you know where you are?"

Andrea looks around quickly before sinking back down in the bed. "Rick?"

Rick can't help but smile as he shakes his head. "Yeah Andrea, how are you feeling? You had us pretty scared there for a minute. You've been out of it for quite a while now, can you tell us anything that happened?"

"Like I've been run over by a truck and then backed over for good measure." Andrea's hand moves up to wipe at her hair and she winces when she brushes over the cut above her eye. Andrea coughs loudly causing a pain to spread through her chest and ribs. "Do you have some water?"

Carol reaches over and hands Andrea and unopened bottle of water. "Rick's right, you really had us worried, it's really good to see you awake."

"How did I get here?"

"Don't you rememeber? Michonne saved you from the Governor and then brought you here."

Andrea smiles at the short haired woman for a moment before frowning deeply when she doesn't find Michonne to be any where in the room. "Where's Michonne?" When a few seconds pass and no one answers she feels the panic start to rise within her. "Milton what are you doing here?" A few more seconds pass, "Why are you all avoiding my questions? Where is Michonne, is she here?" The tears fill blue eyes and slide slowly down her face, "Is she dead? Milton, please answer me. No, she can't be dead."

"I..."

Rick cuts the man off before he can get the words out. "Michonne is just out on watch, she was feeling cooped up in here and she wanted to get out for a while. You know how she is, she get uncomfortable really easy. You just get some rest and I'll let her know that you are awake and asking about her." Rick pats Andrea lightly on the shoulder before standing and motioning for the others to follow. "Don't worry Andrea she will be here the next time you wake up. Are you hungry or anything?" Rick can't help but remember the time he had lied to Carl about Sophia and he prays this doesn't end the same way.

"No the water is good for now, thank you."

Carol sighs but stands anyway, kissing her friend on the forehead, "We'll just be right outside if you need anything."

"I just need Michonne, please send her in as soon as you can."

Carol gives a small smile, the pain behind those blue eyes makes Carol's heart bleed. "Of course Andrea." After exiting the cell and making sure to be out of earshot Carol turns her attention to Rick. "What the hell was that all about? You just lied to her! Now she expects Michonne it be here when she wakes up!"

"I only did that because she needs to rest, not waste her energy worrying about Michonne. Besides Daryl and Maggie are out looking for her now, they will find her and bring her back. Andrea doesn't even have to know."

"You hope they will bring her back but you can't be sure about that! What if they don't? She deserves to know what is happening. She's not going to be happy when she finds out that we all lied to her."

"Actually I think Rick may be right about this, let's just let her concentrate on getting better. If your friends come back without Michonne then we can tell her, but we don't need to worry about that until is happens."

"Well just so we are clear I do not agree with this at all, and when you do have to tell her the truth I'm not going to be a part of it. i am not going to lie to her even if you say it is for her own good." Carol gives both men a final glare before turning and walking away.

Daryl and Maggie are driving around the out skirts of Woodbury looking for any signs of Michonne in silence. After a while Maggie can't take it any longer, "Do you really think we are going to find her?"

"I sure hope so but I'm starting to lose hope the longer we are out here, we should have run across her by now." Just as the words pass over his lips Daryl turns his attention back to the road just as Michonne is crossing. "Well it looks like luck is on our side tonight." Pulling over quickly he rolls down the window and sticks his head out. "Michonne! What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"Daryl just turn around and go back to the prison, pretend like you didn't see me." Michonne moves on but Daryl gets out of the car and grabs her arm. "Daryl, let me go."

"No can do Last Samurai, we can't go back there without you."

"I'm not coming back until The Governor is dead, you of all people should understand that! You are the one person who should want him dead just as much as I do!"

"Oh trust me Darlin' nothin' would make me happier."

"Then why are you trying to stop me? I could go and end this all right now."

"I'm sure you could but you can't deny that you would have a better chance of surviving if you came back to the prison and allowed us to actually help you! You don't have to do this alone, how do think that would be a good idea? What if you get there and he's awake and waiting on you, he could kill you. You risked everything by going back to that place and saving Andrea, are you really gonna take the chance of leaving her again? Because we both know that you could very well not come back this time." Daryl feels bad for playing on the woman's guilt but desperate times called for desperate measures. He had to do whatever it took to get Michonne to agree to come back with them, he could apologize later.

"Daryl's right Michonne, just get in the car so we can take you back to the prison, back to Andrea." Maggie can see the sadness rolling off the other woman in waves, she's never seen the woman look so broken. "Please just come back with us, I don't want to be the one to tell Andrea that you aren't coming back."

"I am coming back, this isn't like before when I left her! She's in good hands now, your people will take good care of her and keep her safe until I can get back."

"We are your people now too." Daryl moves closer to the woman but stops short when she removes her katana and points it at his throat. He hold his hands up and slowly backs away, "Easy now. There's no need for that. We only want to help you."

"Well you can help me by letting me go on about my way. You aren't changing my mind, you have to let me do this."

Michonne goes to walk away but Daryl's voice stops her. "Well if you aren't going to come back with us then please take this." He holds out his own gun for the woman to take. "I know you are all bad ass with that sword of yours but this could come in handy."

Michonne takes the offered gun and tucks it into the back of her jeans. "Thank you." Turning to walk away towards the woods she turns toward the car one last time. "Can you do me just one favor?"

"Just name it."

"Tell Andrea I love her..."

"Sorry darlin' but that's something you are gonna have to tell her yourself." Daryl gives her one last smile before climbing back in the car. "So you make sure you come back and do just that. And don't take too long, she's waiting."


	8. Chapter 8 : Born To Die

Wow, I'm shocked at the reviews I got for my last chapter! Not that I'm complaining, keep them coming! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 8: Born To Die

Maggie and Daryl are almost back to the prison gates when Maggie breaks the silence, she can't take it for another second. "What are we going to tell the others? They won't be happy when we return without Michonne. Poor Andrea is gonna flip her shit, that's if she's even awake. I hate to say it but I hope she is still sleeping... Feeling better but not awake..." Maggie catching the look Daryl is going her, "I know that sounds horrible but at this point I don't even feel bad about saying it. I mean don't you agree that if she is still sleeping that maybe Michonne can make it back before she wakes up?"

Daryl looks down sadly before sighing. "I don't think that's going to happen Maggie, Michonne isn't coming back until the Governor is dead and we will tell them the truth I suppose... That The Last Samurai is as stubborn as a damn mule and we couldn't convince her to come back with us. There's nothing more that we really can say, she's gone. They had to know that there was a good possibility that we wouldn't find her, I'm actually shocked we did. She seems like the type who could disappear and never be found unless she wanted to be."

"But we did find her Daryl, she was right in front of us. I still think it would be a better idea to say we didn't find her, that's what she asked us to tell them." Maggie wants to do as the other woman had asked but doesn't want to lie to the others at the same time. "Shouldn't we at least try and respect her wishes?" Maggie can't help but wonder if the woman had made it to Woodbury yet. "I honestly believe she would be able to take him down if his men don't try and get in the way."

"You're right she could but I don't see them just standing by as someone kills their leader. And just because she asked doesn't mean that's what we are going to do, you don't always get what you ask for. Besides don't you think the group and Andrea deserves to know the truth? We did our best in trying to make her see reason but right now she is blinded by her rage. Honestly if you hadn't of come with me then I'm pretty sure I would be out there with her right now, fighting by her side." Daryl gets a sad look in his eyes at the thought of the woman being out there alone. "I just hope she changes her mind before she gets there and turns back around. That would make every ones life a whole helluva lot better. Hell we keep talking about her making it to Woodbury its like we forgot that the walkers are gonna be after her the whole way."

"Why aren't you? Out there I mean." Deep down Maggie thinks she knows the answer but she wants to hear it from Daryl. Everyone including herself expected Daryl to want revenge as well. Maggie knew Daryl loved his brother more than anything and it was a cruel joke that they were reunited only to be torn apart again. It was a cruel joke that fate was playing and it was in the form of a one eyed son of a bitch. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of Michonne taking his other eye and leaving him to walk around blind, he wouldn't last very long.

"Michonne needs closure in this or it will only tear her down, we need to just let her have it. She has so much guilt where Andrea is concerned that it's causing her to be irrational, there was no talking her down. If she doesn't kill the Governor she will never be okay, the guilt would probably eat her alive. She could never be happy at the prison knowing he was still out there somewhere, not to mention having to always look over her shoulder waiting for him to show up in our lives again."

"But what about you? Don't you need closure as well? I mean, he did kill your brother after all." Maggie feels bad for bringing up the older Dixon after seeing the pain on Daryl's face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... That was really insensitive of me to say. Sometimes the filter between my brain and mouth doesn't work so well. I know how much you have struggled to deal with Merle's death."

"It's okay Maggie. I had to accept a long time ago that Merle was gone, it was only luck that we were reunited. Do I want to kill the bastard who took his life and then left him as a flesh eating monster? Of course but Michonne needs it more than I do. I am thankful that we got to see each other again and that he got to try and make amends for the things he did. I want the Governor dead more than anything but I'm not the one who needs to do it. I think Michonne needs the action of having actually killed him, then maybe she will feel redeemed. I'm not going to be the person to take that away from her. Besides Merle died trying to help us, his death while unfair was still a noble one. I'm damn proud of him, even in death."

"You really are a good person Daryl Dixon." Maggie gives him a sincere smile before turning her eyes back to the road ahead. "Always wanting what's best for other people, it's one of the things I like so much about you. But your driving skills? Not so good, do you want us to get back some time this year?"

Daryl can't help but smile shyly at Maggie, "Yeah well how about we just keep that information to ourselves, no need in going and blabbing it to everyone in the world. Even if there are only very few people left in it, can't let anyone think I've gone soft. If Merle were still here he would give me shit for not having killed the Governor already. I can't help but think that if Shane was still alive then the Governor would probably be dead already. He was a crazy some bitch but you can't deny that he got shit done, definitely not a person I would want to cross."

"I agree but you know what really confuses me the most? Michonne just got Andrea back, I can't believe she just up and left the way she did." Maggie thought of herself as an observant person and she wasn't blind nor stupid. She knew exactly how Michonne felt about the blonde. She could see it in the woman's dark eyes every time Andrea's name was mentioned and she could see it in the way Michonne looked at the blonde. With all the love in the world, it was the same way she imagined she looked at Glen. And to make things even better she was sure Andrea felt the same way. She only hoped they had a chance to be happy, happiness in the world they lived in was a hard thing to come by. They both deserve to find some sort of happiness in this cruel world they were being forced to live in.

"She doesn't see it as leaving her, she's convinced herself that she's saving her. That she's saving all of us actually. It's hard to see where she's coming from, especially with us being outsiders and not involved as deeply as she is. That monster tried to kill Andrea and Michonne believes that by going after him herself, that everyone else will be safe. She feels the need to try and make it up to Andrea and this is her way of doing that. Remember that Michonne was with Andrea in Woodbury before she came to find us, she wanted to leave but Andrea didn't. Michonne can't help but feel guilty, plain and simple."

"And what do you think? I mean it's not Michonne's fault that Andrea didn't want to leave with her. Andrea made that choice all on her own."

Daryl can't help but smirk at the girl, "Where you listening girl, didn't I just tell you what I thought?"

"Well yeah but, I guess what I mean is do you think she will make it back to Andrea alive? She doesn't seem like the type to give in that easy, she's a fighter."

"I think she's going to get herself hurt or even worse... Killed. But that's just my opinion, she could surprise us all. For Andrea's sake I hope she does, Michonne was all Andrea had after the farm was over run." Daryl winces at the thought of the blonde being left all alone in the carnage that was the farm they had called home. The fact that they never went back to look for the blonde weighed heavy on his heart. He had been the one to offer to go back but in the end Rick had shot that idea down.

"How are we suppose to go back there and tell Andrea that we just let her go? I mean sure... You tried to talk her out of her plan, but the truth is that we could have done more."

"And what more would that be? We couldn't very well tie her up and put her in the trunk now could we? That's not the kind of people we are Maggie, we don't take away peoples right to make their own decisions."

"Well no... Nothing that drastic but we could have forced her to come back with us, there's two of us and only one of her." Maggie sighs deeply when the prison comes into view, "I think we made a mistake by just letting her go off on her own." If anything happened to Michonne, Andrea would never forgive them and in truth she wouldn't blame her.

"Look Maggie, we did what she wanted us to do. She would have found a way back to Woodbury with or without anyone's help. She's hurting right now and that makes her a very dangerous person. Don't get me wrong I'm not looking forward to breaking the news any more than you are but it is what it is and it's best not to dwell on what could've been. Andrea will be upset but she still has the rest of us. If Michonne doesn't come back then Andrea will have us to help her get through."

"Do you really believe that?"

"No not exactly but I'm hoping the more I say it the more I'll start to believe it."

Maggie gives the man a toothy smile, "Since when did you get to be so smart?" She laughs lightly before reaching over and patting him on the head. "Don't worry though, I'll keep that to myself as well."

"Years of practice and yeah you be sure to do that." Daryl smiles back before rolling his eyes. He hoped everything would be okay, sure he believed the group could help Andrea move on but he wasn't sure if it would be that easy. There was something about the two women that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Plus he couldn't deny the fact that Michonne had all but confessed her love for Andrea as she was leaving. Daryl recalls how Amy's death had affected Andrea and he can only pray it won't turn out the same, Dale wasn't here to talk her out of killing herself this time.

Carol is the first person to notice the approaching car. "Carl go inside and let the others know that Daryl and Maggie are back." Unlatching the gate and letting them in she can see as they drive by her that Michonne isn't in the car. Taking a deep breath and fearing the worst she can feel the tears pricking the back of her eyes as she stands frozen once the gate is properly closed. "Oh boy this isn't going to be pretty." Carol's mind drifts back to the blonde that was sleeping off an infection, she was going to be heartbroken and it wouldn't help that Rick had lied to her. This was all going to blow up in his face, she was almost sure of it.

Daryl shuts off the car and moves from behind the wheel slowly, catching Carol's terrified gaze he can't help but lower his head so he doesn't have to meet her questioning eyes. "Carol." He gives a notion for her to follow them, not wanting to have to tell the tale of how Michonne was gone more than once. Once would be hard enough as is. "Are the others inside?"

Carol doesn't get the chance to answer because Rick meets them at the door, a fierce look on his unshaven face. Carl was trailing sadly behind him, his eyes never leaving his feet. "It's good to see you guys made it back in one piece." Looking around quickly he sighs when he doesn't see the woman they had went after, "Michonne?" Rick lowers his head when Daryl only shakes his head in a no motion. "Let's get inside so we can sit and talk. Everyone needs to hear what's going on. Then we can decide how to break the news to Andrea as a group, it's gonna have to be done gently and cautiously."

No one notices the silent tear that makes it's way down Carl's face as he waits to hear news of the woman who had saved his life and found a way into his heart. He still believe that Michonne was one of them, no matter what.

As soon at they walk in the door Glen rushes to Maggie's side, catching her in a bone crushing hug. "Thank god you are back! We were so worried, you were gone longer than we expected."

"Yeah I know but see you were worried for nothing." After Glen backs away both Beth and Hershel give her a hug as well, you can see the relief swimming in both of their eyes. "See I told you I would be back." Maggie gives them both a smile before taking a seat next to her family and motioning for Beth to hand over the baby that was sleeping in her sisters arms. "Give her up Beth, it's my time for some baby loving. You've kept her all to yourself for long enough, gotta learn to share." Beth smiles fondly at her sister before handing baby Judith over.

Once everyone is settled inside, several pairs of eyes are darting back and forth quickly. No one having offered to break the awkward silence, Daryl finally steps up knowing he has to be the one to start the conversation. He turns his attention to Carol before clearing his throat, "How is Andrea?" It was silly really, considering how they had all been waiting to hear news of Michonne. Daryl was trying to buy himself some time, we wasn't ready to break the news just yet.

"She woke up earlier when the fever finally broke, luckily we were able to convince her that she needed some more rest. I checked in on her not to long ago and she was still sleeping. There's no telling how long she will be out, I'm sure her body is exhausted. We don't know how long it's been since she's had a peaceful sleep. I'm assuming you weren't able to find Michonne?"

"That's good, and no we did find her. I hope Andrea sleeps a while longer I'm not ready to have to tell her yet. Anyone else want to step up and volunteer?"

"Tell who what?" Andrea comes through the cell doors only to catch the end of the conversation. "Sounds like it's a touchy subject." Andrea looks around the room at her family and she can't help but smile. She was finally where she was suppose to be, she was back home. "Milton, it's good to see you are fitting in quite nicely here." Andrea can't help but smirk at the uneasy look on the mans face. "Don't worry, they don't bite."

All heads turn quickly to the new voice coming from the doorway. "Andrea..." Carol looks at the blonde and can't help but notice that she looks much better than she had earlier. Her once pale face now had some color back in it that wasn't from the fever and there was a smile stretched across her lips. "Aren't you suppose to be resting?" Carol moves to the woman's side, wrapping an arm lightly around the blonde's waist. "You really shouldn't be up and walking around just yet. Your body needs more time to recover honey. Are you hurting anywhere?"

Hershel looks up and gives Andrea a smile, "She's right you know but it's good to see you looking much better. You had us all quite worried when Michonne brought you in."

"I woke up and just couldn't lay there any more, I'm feeling much better now. Still sore but my head is clearer than it's been in weeks." Andrea looks around the room, her eyes craving the site of the one person who can make everything okay. "So what are you guys talking about? And where is my savior? I want to thank her properly without being in and out of la la land as I do it." Andrea can't help but smile at the thought of Michonne, the woman who had come back for her and saved her from a painful death. She would never be able to repay that favor to Michonne but she will damn well try anyway.

"Andrea, maybe you should sit down." Rick stands and motions for her to take the seat he had just been sitting in. "We can get you something to eat or maybe some water." Rick would give anything to have Michonne walk through that door and save him the pain of having to break the news to Andrea. But luck wasn't on his side and Andrea was looking at him for answers. She would most likely be hurt and angry about the fact that he had lied to her even though he still believed it was the right choice.

Giving him a small smile Andrea shakes her head. "No I'm good thanks. I'm actually gonna go and find Michonne, is she still on watch duty?" Her smile quickly fades when she notices that not one person in the room would make eye contact with her and Carol's arm tightens around her waist. "Oh god what is it? Is it bad?" A million different things run through her head all at once, instantly making it hurt. "What aren't you guys telling me? I'm a big girl ya know, no need to tip toe around the truth."

"Actually... Michonne is something we need to talk to you about." Rick moves closer almost timidly, placing his hand on Andrea's arm. "But first I would feel a lot better if you would take a seat, please."

Andrea feels as if someone had just punched her in the stomach. The thought of there being a problem with Michonne made her weak in the knees. "What about Michonne? Where is she?" A few seconds pass and tears well behind her eyes and her breath quickens, "Rick?" There's a beat and then she turns her attention go Carol. "Carol? Someone?" Andrea is having flashes of everything from Michonne being bitten and turning to Phillip killing her. Surely her friends wouldn't have allowed Phillip to take her without putting up a fight.

"I'm sorry Andrea." It was actually Daryl who finally spoke up, not being able to take the look Andrea was giving. She deserved answers, he just hated the fact that he had to be the one to give them.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? What happened?" Rick's eyes never leave the floor so she grips his wrist tightly, he was avoiding her questions and it was really starting to piss her off. "Talk to me damn you! Tell me where she is right now!" The panic rises in her chest as she forces herself to take deep breaths. The had said they were sorry, that could only mean one thing... Something bad had happened to Michonne, her savior.

"She... She's not..." Rick finally brings his eyes up to look at the woman's face which is contorted in fear and anguish. "I'm sorry Andrea,we tried... We did everything we could."

Andrea cuts the man off, "What the fuck do you mean she's not here?!" Closing her eyes she sinks slowly to her knees, bringing Carol with her. "Tell me where she is. Is she dead? Is she a walker? What?!"

"Andrea please try and calm down, getting upset won't help matters. We will tell you everything but first you need to calm down."

"Don't tell me what the hell to do Daryl!" Andrea glares at the younger Dixon, the rage sweeping over her body causes her to tremble. "Please just tell me that she is okay. She just went out on a run for supplies right?"

"She was fine the last time we saw her." Maggie's heart aches for the other woman, she knew she would feel exactly the same if it were Glen out there. She clutches the sleeping baby tightly to her chest, trying to seek some sort of comfort.

Andrea can feel the ache in her chest as she struggles to breathe. "And when exactly was this, she's not here is she? Since when do you send only one person out on a supply run? I know things have changed these last few months but we never sent just one person out, it was always at least two people!"

"No Andrea... She's not here." Daryl can't help but lower his head in shame, no matter how hard they had tried to convince Michonne in the end it did nothing. She was still out there alone, "I'm sorry."

Andrea's eyes flash with rage as she turns her glare towards Rick, "You lied to me... You told me she would be here when I woke up! You let me go to sleep believing that everything was fine. How could you do that to me?"

"Don't think of it like that, I..."

"Well how do you want me think? You lied to me you bastard! You told me that she was only out on watch!" Andrea stands up quickly while moving to shove Rick hard on his chest, the tears were starting to blur her vision. At one time she had looked up to Rick as a leader but now she had to keep herself from ripping him apart.

"I'm sorry, I was only trying to buy some time so we could get her back here."

"Where is she?" Andrea cuts the man off, wanting to get straight to the point. "Just stop making excuses and tell me where she is so I can go find her."

"Andrea, just please..."

Andrea cuts the man off again with fire in her eyes. "God damn it Rick! Tell me where she is!" Andrea usually didn't use such language but sometimes the situation called for it. "We are wasting time here!"

"She went after the Governor, we tried to stop her Andrea I swear we did but she just wouldn't listen."

"What? Are you fucking kidding me?! You let her go after that monster alone?" Andrea wants to scream but instead she just lets the tears fall. "Why didn't you go after her? He's gonna kill her!" The thought of Michonne being strapped to the very chair she had been makes her blood run cold. Her heartbeat quickens and her head starts to spin, all she could see was red.

"Andrea, Maggie and I did actually go after her. We found her but we still couldn't get her to come back here with us. You make it seem like we just let her walk out of here without a fight on our part. We did all that we could, I even went as far as taking a few cheap shots about how she was leaving you."

She knew she shouldn't take her anger out on her friends, she knew how stubborn Michonne could be. "This is all my fault." All the strength she had felt earlier, drained from her body as each cut and bruise on her body now seemed to throb. She once again found herself sinking to her knees, no longer having the strength to stand. Not even Carol's arm around her waist or the comforting words could sooth her grief. Michonne was gone and this time she could very well not be coming back. "This is just too much, I can't lose her again. I won't survive it this time."

"She's gonna be fine Andrea, Michonne is a strong person. She's gonna come back for you and everything is gonna be fine." Rick tries to make the woman feel better but he's not sure if Michonne will be back or not. "I'm sorry that I lied to you, but you can't blame yourself for this."

"Can we go after her? Please?" Andrea looks over to Daryl with pleading eyes. The tightness in her chest has returned full force, every breath of air she took in felt like fire licking at her lungs. "We know where she is headed, it shouldn't be hard to track her down."

"I don't think that's a good idea. She made it clear to us that she wasn't changing her mind on this." Daryl feels bad for the blonde, he can see how much being away from Michonne pains her. "And Andrea?" When the woman finally lifts her gaze to his he tries to give her a small smile. "Michonne will do whatever it takes to get back here to you. Besides she would already be there by now, she wasn't far from the town when we found her. You are far to weak to go out there anyway, you would be walker bait no sooner than leaving the gate." He wanted to add how Michonne said she loved her but decided against it. He would leave that for Michonne to tell herself.

"She promised she wouldn't leave me again, why would she leave again?"

"Andrea, she doesn't see it as leaving you. She'll be back as soon as she does what she feels is right. The Governor hurt you and Michonne refuses to let him get away with it."

Andrea stands up suddenly and wipes her eyes while moving towards the door. "I need to get out of here and get some air." She couldn't get out the door quick enough as another round of tears found their way down her cheeks. "Damn you Michonne, you broke your promise!"

"Don't go outside the first gate, it's not safe." Rick knew the plea had fallen on deaf ears as the door slammed shut. They could hear the sobs coming from the other side even with the thick door being closed. Andrea was hurting and there was nothing he or anyone else could do to make it better.

Michonne is standing on the outside of the Woodbury gates, but she can't bring herself to enter just yet. Funny thing was that there were no guards on watch. Her mind quickly turns to Andrea, she couldn't help but wonder if she had woken up yet. Michonne longed to see those beautiful blue eyes, but now she may never get that chance again. Maybe Daryl had been right, she was technically leaving her love once again. "He's right, you are breaking a promise plain and simple." It would be so easy for her to just turn and walk away, to leave this behind and go back to the people at the prison. She hoped Daryl would do her the favor of giving Andrea her love if she didn't return, she wanted Andrea to know exactly how she felt. Her only regret being that she herself hadn't told her sooner, things could be so different right now. They had wasted so much time because of this damn place, wasted time that they could have spent together.

Quickly turning away from the gate, Michonne prepares to high tail it back to Andrea's waiting arms. A hand on her shoulder stops her and makes her blood run cold at the same time. "Well looky what we have here, you're in the wrong place aren't you honey? Shouldn't you been holed up at the prison like the convict you are?"

Michonne glares at the man as she tries to shrug his hand from her shoulder. "If you would like to keep that hand then I suggest you remove it and not touch me again."

"Easy now, there's no need for threats among friends. I'm not the one you should be worried about."

"You aren't my friend and it wasn't a threat, it's a promise." Michonne moved closer so she could get a better look at the person who was stopping her, she recognized the face almost immediately. "I see you've found a new place to call home since we booted your ass out of the prison. I can also see that you fit in quite nicely with the monsters of this town. This is the right place for you...Friend."

"I see the Governor was right about you, nothing but attitude. He's gonna be real happy when I bring you to him, so why don't you hand over that over sized knife so I can do just that."

Michonne hissed and gripped the katana tightly, remembering the last time these people had stripped her weapons away. She would be damned if it would happen for a second time. "Actually I think I'll just hold on to it and be on my way."

Michonne turns to leave but the sound of a gun cocking stops her dead in her tracks. "I said hand over the weapon, now I suggest you do as I say before I splatter your pretty little brains all over this wall. It would be such a waste to just kill you."

"And I suggest you lower that gun, we both know you aren't going to use it. So if it's all the same to you, I'll just be on my way. You turn and go back to your people and I will do the same. No harm."

"Listen lady, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. But either way you aren't going any where. The governor would have my head on a platter if I let you leave, he has been waiting for you. He said you would be back and so far he has always been right."

Michonne sighs before handing over her beloved katana, but she makes sure to keep Daryl's gun tucked safely under the material of her top. "Fine take me to him then, it saves me the trouble of having to track him down." Sure she wasn't a pro with the gun but it wouldn't really matter how good she was if it was at a close enough range.

"Yeah well, he has big plans for you little lady. You are going to wish you had never come back here." Alan smirks at her over his shoulder before leading them through the streets.

"Oh really? Well it's too bad that I can't stay for dinner then, I guess his plans will just have to wait til another time." Michonne hides her fear behind her snarky remarks, something she had done even before the world had gone to hell. "And just so we are clear, I already regret coming back here because it means I have to look at your ugly face."

"God, you are almost as annoying as that silly blonde the Governor had following him around like a kicked puppy. Now that blonde, she was a looker."

Michonne flinches at the mention of her love, her eyes darkening with anger. "I'd choose my words carefully if I were you. That so called annoying blonde happens to be a close friend of mine and I don't take kindly to stupid redneck assholes like yourself bad mouthing her. She's a better person than you could ever dream of being. Can you just take me to the Governor now so we can get this over with?"

"I wouldn't be so anxious if I were you, he's gonna kill you and then he's gonna go back to that prison and kill all your little friends."

"When I said I would come with you I didn't realize I'd have to listen to you blab on and on, your voice is like nails on a chalk board. Anyone ever tell you that silence is golden? Because they should have!"

"You won't think you're so funny when the Governor is killing you slowly, where is your little blonde friend anyway? I'd like to give her a go if you know what I mean, now that the Governor is done with her of course."

Michonne knew exactly what he meant and if looks could kill then this man would be six feet under by now. "Her name is Andrea and scum like you don't even deserve to be in her presence." If she had her katana she would love nothing more than to cut the mans tongue out but she doesn't have a chance to grab for it as she is lead to the Governor's door. She can't help but frown when the door is opened to reveal a very awake Governor. Damn you Milton, you will pay for deceiving me!

"Well if it's not Mee-Shonne." The Governor draws the name out as if mocking her.

"Well if it isn't the man of the hour, that is if you are even a man at all." Michonne wants to throw up at the sound of her name coming from this vile man's mouth. "I would say it's nice to see you again Phillip but that would be a down right lie." Taking a closer look she can see that his one eye is weak and unfocused, maybe Milton hadn't lied to her after all. "You aren't looking so good Phillip, are you feeling well?" Michonne does nothing to hide the smirk in her voice, knowing it will anger the man before her.

"Well you wouldn't look so great either if someone had slipped sleeping drugs into your whiskey. That reminds me, is that little rat Milton fitting in comfortable with your people at the prison?"

"The smartest thing Milton did was to leave this place. He at least got out with his life intact, which is not gonna be the same case where you are concerned."

"I see, yet here you are right back where you started. What brings you back to Woodbury anyway? You already have your precious Andrea back, what more could you want?"

"I came to kill you, you hurt Andrea and that is unacceptable. You are nothing but a lying murderer and I came to make sure you don't have the chance to kill anyone else."

"So this is what it's all about then? That little blonde bitch?"

Michonne goes to lunge at his throat but stops when she sees the gleam in his eye. "That's not gonna work Phillip, we both know Andrea had wised up to your sorry ass. That's why she left and you tracked her down before trapping her in that room. what kind of human being does something so sick?"

"And I would still have her if you and Milton had minded your own business." Phillip goes over and runs his fingers across the side of Michonne's face and she has to bite her tongue to keep her thoughts to herself. "But I guess you will do just as well, you really are a pretty little thing aren't you. All I need to do is teach you who's the boss around here and we should get along just fine."

"Let's cut to the point, you have what you want now. Do whatever you want with me but leave the people at the prison alone, your problem is with me not them. And when I say I want you to leave them alone, that includes Andrea."

"Do you really think it's that easy? Those people at the prison are a threat to the good things we have going here. By letting them live I am giving them the opportunity to bring down Woodbury and that's just not something we can let happen. The people of this town are counting on me and I can't let them down now can I?"

"You disgust me." She regrets it as soon as the words leave her mouth because she feels Phillip's large hand connecting harshly with the side of her face. Grinning through the pain she spits out the blood that had filled her mouth. "Now didn't your daddy teach you not to hit girls?"

Philip only grins at her before turning his attention to Alan, "Go make sure the boys are ready to move out." Once the man is out the door Phillip turns his attention back to Michonne, smiling at her in mock. "Oh Mee-Shonne, don't you remember the last time you were here? When I stripped you of your weapons and took away the one person in the world that you loved?" Phillip can't help but laugh at the look of shock he receives. "what? You think I didn't know? It was so easy to talk her into staying and making a life with us in Woodbury, she let you walk away so easily didn't she? If I recall correctly I don't believe your name was even mentioned again after you were gone. I was the one who conviced her that you couldn't be trusted."

"Shut up." Michonne clenches her teeth, not wanting to let this man's word get to her. "You don't know what you are talking about!" It hurt like hell hearing how Andrea moved on so quickly and without a second thought, even if she did know that it was lies. Andrea herself had told her that she had been waiting.

"Oh but don't I? Have you forgotten that it was my bed that she was sleeping in, not yours?" He knew exactly what to say to get the woman riled up. "Well... That is if you can call what we did in that bed sleeping."

Michonne wants nothing more than to shoot that bastard right between the eyes."And have you forgotten that she left you to come back to me?! You had to know that it was only a matter of time before she left."

"Took her long enough now didn't it? It was so easy to manipulate and mold her into the person I wanted her to be. But those damn people at the prison put thoughts in her head that I was a bad person. Can you believe that?" The laugh that comes from the mans mouth is borderline manic. Michonne can't help the shiver that moves through her body at the sound.

"I'm gonna kill you."

"I'm afraid not honey, now pull yourself together and lets go have some fun! It's gonna be fun to have you by my side as we bring the prison down. The look on Andrea's face as I kill you will be priceless and then she will be mine again. We will rule over Woodbury together, by her side is her rightful place."


	9. Chapter 9 : Bottle Of Pain

Here is the new chapter..I'm thinking maybe one more chapter and then ending it. Unless of course you guys want more? Just let me know

Chapter 9: Bottle Of Pain

Rick comes into the cell that Andrea has confined herself to since learning of Michonne's absence, she refused to talk to anyone. Carol had begged the blonde to come out and join the others, arguing that being around the rest of the group would help her deal. But Andrea was stubborn and all their attempts had been shot down no sooner than being spoken. "Hey Andrea, do you mind if I come in?" He peeks inside to see his friend, hoping she would allow him to come in so they could talk. "There's some stuff I would like to talk to you about, are you feeling up to some company? I know you asked to be alone but that was hours ago and everyone is starting to worry. "

Andrea is leaning against the wall, her face in her hands. "If I say yes I mind and no I don't want company will you leave me alone?" Rolling her eyes she takes a deep breath, regretting it almost immediately when she feels the tightness in her chest. The tears on her face are fresh but it feels like she's been crying for a lifetime. She can't help but wonder if a day would come when she would simply run out of tears. Oh how she looked forward to that very day, she had always hating crying. In her book the tears were considered to be a weakness, at least it was that way before the world ended. Now the tears meant that she was human, still alive. She honestly couldn't decide if that was a good thing now days or not.

"No..." Rick smirks at the blonde hoping to lighten the mood just a bit, he could feel the tension and sorrow as soon as he entered the cell. The tension was so thick that you couldn't cut it with a knife. "You know I'm not trying to be the bad guy here Andrea... I only want to help you."

"Well then by all means do come in. But I have to warn you Rick I'm really not in the mood for company right now, I'd much rather you just leave me alone." Andrea knows the man is only trying to help but right now she didn't want the company. She was being a grade a bitch but at this point she didn't even really care. No need to tip toe around feelings when it was the end of the world, besides she felt she had earned the right to be a little upset. She had asked the others to leave her alone for a while, so she could mourn without all those eyes to witness her breakdown. Apparently Rick was the only one who didn't get the memo. "Stubborn bastard." She was sure to say it low enough that the man wouldn't hear. "What do you really want?"

Rick ignores Andrea's request and moves to take a seat beside her against the wall. "I know you are hurting right now, I know exactly how you feel." Lori's face flashes in his mind quickly before he pushes it to the side. "But right now I need you to pull yourself together, we need everyone on board if we are to defeat the Governor. If Michonne..." Rick pauses when she sees the look of sadness that envelopes Andrea's face. "If the Governor isn't dead then he's gonna be coming for us, soon. I know you feel like a part of you is missing, but we have to make sure we are ready when he comes. Getting out of this cell and helping us come up with a plan will be good for you."

"I know what you are trying to do and it's not gonna work. Why can't you just leave me be? It's not like I would be much help right now anyway. Just leave me alone, I'm no use to you in this condition. You and I both know that I will only be in the way, just someone else to look out for. More than a hindrance than anything Rick." Andrea truly believed what she was saying and no one could say anything to convince her otherwise. She felt as if she was right back at the CDC, ready to end her life because she had lost one of the people she loved most in the world. It looks like Rick was taking Dale's place in begging her to keep living, why couldn't they just let her make her own choices? She was a grown ass woman. If she wanted to die then that was her God given right as a human being.

"You need to get up and find the strength to move on. I know it's hard but sitting in this cell dwelling on what could have been won't help you." Rick reaches in his pocket to produce two small white pills, he offers them to Andrea along with a bottle of water. "Hershel said you need to take these or else your infection will flare up again. When Michonne returns she will want to see you in good health, not sick. The last thing we need right now is for you to relapse, you are starting to look some better."

Andrea pushes both the pills and water away, "Save them. I don't need them, I'm fine. Someone else might need them later, drugs are hard to come by these days. I wonder where they even got them from." Andrea makes a note in the back of her mind to ask Milton just that when things settle down. A violent cough tears a line of fire through her chest and body, that was not the way to convince Rick she was fine.

Rick rolls his eyes while pressing his hand to Andrea's forehead, frowning slightly. "No you're not, your fever is back. Michonne wouldn't want you to suffer, she risked everything to save you. Is this really how you want to repay her? By letting this fever and infection do you in? All alone in this cell? She would be upset to see you like this, we all are." Rick feels bad for throwing Michonne in her face but drastic times called for drastic measures. "We both know I'm right Andrea, so just take the damn pills already. I don't want to have to force them down your throat but I will if it comes to that. I'm really not up for burying another part of my family, so please." Rick knows that the blonde is hurting and that everyone handles the pain differently. Rick looks over to the door to see Lori standing there with a warm smile on her face. Shaking his head he turns his attention back to the real woman in the room, Lori wasn't real no matter how much he wanted to believe she was.

"Don't bother Rick, Michonne is gone and she probably isn't coming back and that's my fault. I've gotta come to terms with that, I can't get my hopes up only to have them crushed later." A few tears slide down her face and she brushes them away in anger, she hated that she wore all her feelings on her sleeve. "Phillip is a mad man and there is no way he will let her live if he comes across her. If I had just listened to Michonne in the beginning then we wouldn't have this problem now would we? She was right the whole time, she knew from the start that Phillip was bad news. Besides this is my choice, if I want to stay in this cell until I die then it's on me... Not you. Once I'm gone you can come in and kill me for the second time, simple as that."

"You can't sit here and think about what could have been or what you should have done. Besides if you had never gone to Woodbury then you may have not found us again. But you did and now you are back where you belong, don't regret anything. What's done is done. That's in the past and right now we need to focus the present... That is if we plan to have a future. You know more about him than we do, we need your help. You know how he works, we don't have a clue."

"How can you say I know how he works? If I knew do you think I would have stayed there?" Andrea raises her voice, you can hear the desperation in every word. "Michonne knew what kind of man he was, she is the one you need here right now not me... But because of me she's not here. Because of me we are all going to die, just like everyone else in this god forsaken world. And you know what? I can accept that. I am so tired of living in a world where the dead roam the earth and eat the living." She would carry around this guilt for the rest of her life. Weather is one one more day or one more year.

"Well I can't accept that Andrea, all I am asking is for you to at least try. Why can't you do this for us? Help us and then afterwards if you want to shut down then by all means, have at it. I understand you are grieving, all of us have been through that at some point. We have all lost the people that we love, but we have to keep moving. That's how we do things Andrea, we live for them... For ourselves. And do you know why we do that?" When he doesn't receive a response he continues, "We do it because that's what our loved ones would want us to do. Amy would want you to do the best you could, live for as long as you could. She would want you to fight, not give in like a coward. You don't strike me as the type to give up."

Andrea's mind goes back a time not too long ago when Dale had said pretty much the same thing to her. If he had just let her die at the CDC, she wouldn't be going through this grieving process again. "I can't help you Rick..." Andrea drops off her sentence, hoping Rick would take the hint and leave. All she wanted at the moment was to be left alone so she could wallow in her sorrow. She didn't feel that was asking to much. Her head was pounding in her ears and the sound of his voice was only making it worse. Deep down she knew he was right but she wasn't ready to face the world yet, she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to face a world that didn't have her strong Warrior in it. She wouldn't make it it without Michonne by her side, hell she didn't want to make it.

"Please, if not for us then do it for Michonne." Rick once again holds out the medication, smiling lightly as they were taken from his hand this time. "That a girl."

Finally giving in, Andrea rolls her eyes at the smile Rick was sending her way. She pops the pills in her mouth and then takes a long gulp of water. "That was a pretty low blow officer, even for you." She gives him a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "What do you need me to do?" Taking another gulp of water she becomes aware of just how thirsty she really was.

"What are his weaknesses? Did he let you in on any of the plans he had for us, drop any hints at all? Any thing that you know would help."

"I can honestly that I have no clue what his plans are, he would have never shared that information with me. He was aware of us having a history, he probably felt like he couldn't trust me. He knew if I was aware of his real plans then I would stop at nothing to get here and warn you all. And he would be correct in that assumption. I honestly thought he was a decent man, he seemed to truly care for the people of Woodbury. That place seemed like heaven on earth when we got there. It was safe from walkers... People seemed to live somewhat a normal life there, but the evil that resided in their leader was scarier than the dead."

Rick looks down at Andrea's bruised and bandaged arms, "Why would he do this to you? I thought... I mean I was..."

Andrea cuts him off with a bitter laugh. "Oh yeah we were close, I was so damn stupid. I actually thought I could help him, help all of you without anyone losing their life. I only set up that meeting in hopes of you two coming to an agreement. I should have went back with you guys that day instead of him, I was afraid I wouldn't be welcome. Later Milton filled me in on the real plan, I was disgusted. I was on my way back here, to warn you... But he tracked me down, I never made it and I'm sorry for that. I was close but just not close enough. Everything after that point until when Michonne found me is pretty much a blur, a cross between my nightmares and reality. I'm not even sure how long I was locked in that room."

"He said all he wanted was Michonne, and that's it. He said he would leave us alone if I handed her over. We were... I was actually going to do that." Rick sighs and hangs his head in shame, remembering how he had once said that they don't kill the living. "I can't believe I was willing to just sacrifice her. But I was desperate, I would have done almost anything to save us." Remembering how he had taken down one of the prisoners makes his face turn hard. Killing the living was almost as common as killing the dead these days. It was a line that was constantly being blurred, not only by him but by the rest of the group as well.

"He was going to kill you all, either way. That was the plan the whole time, lure you out there and then pick you off one by one. It's true he wanted Michonne but he also wanted you guys out of the picture. He feels threatened by you guys, I don't know why. If it hadn't of been for Merle taking Glen and Maggie, Phillip would have never known you even existed."

"Well it doesn't really matter now does it? He knows we are here and he's coming. Do you feel like coming out and helping us with a plan?" He takes in the dark circles under pale blue eyes. "I'll understand if you would rather stay in and rest. We all know you've been through hell and I know you feel as though you've lost someone important to you..."

"Rick please, I don't want to talk about this any more." Andrea closes her eyes tightly and leans her head against the wall, "My head is killing me and I can't even think straight right now. I would love nothing more than to lay down and sleep until this whole situation passed and that does make me a coward."

"You can't keep it all bottled up inside, trust me things get crazy when you do that. Besides we don't know for sure that Michonne isn't coming back. Have a little faith."

Realizing she is fighting a losing battle, Andrea finally gives in. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll be out." As Rick moves towards the door Andrea's timid touch stops him. "Hey Rick, I'm sorry about what happened to Lori. I know how much you loved her, how much Carl loved her. Me and her were never close but I will miss her. But at the same time I kind of envy her, she doesn't have to fight for her life every single day. This world isn't fit to live in anymore, I can't help but wonder why we try to hard to keep living in it.

"Thank you." Choosing to ignore the last statement, Rick gives the woman a slight nod before walking out of the cell to meet the others. "I'll see you out there." The thoughts filling his head of Lori almost make him falter but they had things they needed to do, he couldn't waste time thinking about his dead wife. He had been doing that for long enough, living in a world where his mind made him believe she was still here. "And Andrea?"

Andrea doesn't open her eyes but still answers lightly, "Yeah?"

"We bother because we all have hope that there is something better out there... Somewhere. And one day we are going to find that place and we will finally be able to stop fighting and just live."

Andrea watches him go, the tears streaming at a steady pace down her face. "Oh Amy..." Lifting her head slightly she looks towards the ceiling. "What am I suppose to do? I messed everything up, and now all the people that I love are in danger. One is possibly already dead, the one who I needed the most in this world. And what am I doing? That's right, throwing myself a damn pity party. I wish you were here Amy, I could use a good kick in the ass right about now." She gives a small laugh at the thought of her sister barging in and demanding that she get her shit together. As soon as the smile appeared, it faded. Her memory throwing in a flash of Michonne saying her shit never stopped being together.

"I love you Amy, I hope you are at peace now. I hope you found Mom and Dad up there, be sure to give them my love." Andrea kisses the tips of her fingers before lifting her hand upward, "We will all be together again one day." Wiping the tears away one last time she stands up and moves towards the door, it was time she started helping them get out of this mess alive. "And Michonne if you're up there... I'm so very sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, I never wanted to hurt anyone. I only wanted to do what was right but how does that saying go? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I really hope you are alive out there somewhere, there's so many things I still need to tell you."

Outside Rick is surrounded by the other members of the group, minus Beth and baby Judith. "Do you think we could lure him into a cell with walkers? Let those bastards do all the dirty work for us? I'm sure we can find plenty of them walking around out there. Or maybe we could even lure him down into the tombs, we don't know whats down there." Rick looks around at each member of the group, willing any one of them to give their opinion.

"With all due respect, the Governor is a lot of things but stupid is not one of those things. He would know right off that it was a trap, probably send one of his men in before himself. If we want to kill him we are gonna have to do better than that."

All heads turn in the direction of the voice. "Andrea it's good to see you up." Carol gives her a warm smile before enveloping the blonde in a tight embrace. "What do you suggest Andrea? You know him better than we do. Other than you and Milton we are all flying blind here."

"Why not just meet him head on? Act as if we are trying to come to an agreement all the while having one of us keep him in our line of fire? That way we can take him down easily when the time comes. I've noticed several places where we could hide and never be seen. Hell I'll gladly volunteer if you all want. I'd be more than happy to take that son of a bitch down."

"You are in no shape to be fighting, you are still too weak and we can't put you at risk like that. I do agree that we need someone to constantly keep the Governor in their sight, but you aren't gonna be that person."

"But Rick..." Andrea wants to argue but stops short when a wave of nausea hits her full force, maybe taking those pills on an empty stomach was a bad idea. "I'm fine, I can find a place and sit down with a gun and wait... It doesn't take that much strength to do that, it's the least I can do.

Glen cuts in before the argument turns into a full blown fight. "I don't know Andrea that sounds a little too easy and much too risky. Besides you weren't here the last time he attacked, he drove a truck full of walkers into our once walker free field." Glen sighs as he remembers the shoot out, remembers how the Governor easily blew up one of their guard towers. "He drove a truck through our fence and left us unprotected, we still haven't managed to clear then out yet. We shouldn't underestimate him. It will only get us killed, we were lucky the last time... We only lost one person, a prisoner named Axel but we damn near lost Carol too. We can't go through that again. The Governor has more gun and man power than we have."

"Are you thinking we should try and reason with him?" Maggie gives Andrea a look of disbelief, "I don't think that is going to work. I'm pretty sure he is way beyond reason at this point. Hell he tried to kill me and Glen without even knowing who we were, he only knew that Merle had told him of us being in a bigger group."

aryl who had chosen to stay quiet finally speaks up. "Merle said that he wouldn't stop until we were dead, he doesn't want a solution that doesn't end with us dead."

"No I'm saying we make him believe we are trying to reason with him. If I know Phillip like I think then he will want to gloat about how he plans on taking us out. All we need is for him to be distracted long enough for whoever is on lookout to get a decent shot and take him out. We can take him down before he gets the chance to do the same to us. I know it sounds mundane but I'm pretty positive that it will work. And for what it's worth Daryl, I'm sorry about what happened to your brother." Daryl doesn't respond other than giving a slight nod as a single tears rolls down his cheek.

"And what if he has Michonne with him?" Rick hates rubbing salt in Andrea's already open wounds but they needed to make sure they examined each and every possibility. "I know it hurts to think like that but he very well could use her as bait. It's what I would do..." Rick smirks lightly at the gasps he hears from his friends. "Well I would...Just saying. It is the end of the world after all, the same rules don't aply anymore."

"Rick is right." All eyes turn to Milton and he shrinks under their harsh gazes. "Phillip will use anything he can against us, it's more than a good possibility that he could be keeping her alive to do just that." Taking in the wounded look on the blonde's face he sighs deeply, "I'm sorry Andrea but he knows that you care about her. Your relationship is perfect leverage during an attack."

Andrea shudders at the thought of Michonne being put in the middle of an all out brawl but she couldn't deny the fact that both of the men were right. "Well I would love nothing more if Michonne was alive but the thought of her being used as a human barrier makes me sick. If she is with him I would hope that each one of you would take extra care in making sure she's not put in unnecessary danger."

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that." Carol gives Andrea a small smile while patting her on the shoulder. "All you gotta do is have a little faith." Carl is glad the rest of the group had scattered, now she could talk to the other woman in private.

"You know you are actually the second person to tell me that today, but unfortunately I'm all out of faith at the moment. Things have changed Carol, I have changed."

Carol can't help but give the other woman a questioning look. "You've lost your faith?"

"Yup... It took a turn for the worst around the same time the world did. You really can't give hope to the hopeless, there's no point."

"You've really let this world change you that much? You let it take away everything you believed in?"

"I didn't really have a choice now did I? Change or fall with the rest of the world, doesn't give you many options to choose from now does it?"

"Oh Andrea, what is there in this world if you don't have faith in something. Sure it can change you but you shouldn't let it take your faith."

"Look around Carol, look at what we are living in! We can't even sleep peacefully at night without worrying if we will end up becoming some walkers lunch. We lose the people we love on a daily basis, we have nothing to look forward to anymore. We don't even have death to look forward to anymore! We are living in a prison for God sake? Since when is a damn prison a good place to be. We have no salvation... You know that."

Carol wipes her tears away, her heart breaking for her friend. "But And..."

"No Carol, there's no buts here! We are all fighting a losing battle and for what?" Andrea shakes her head and wipes at her tears, "Nothing Carol... Is that what we are fighting for? In the end everyone will succumb to this infection, there is no end to this madness. There's nothing left, no where to go... This..." Andrea spreads her arms and motions around her, "This is it."

"I know it's hard... Living this life is so hard, I can't deny that we have lost people because we have. We have lost so many but look what we do have. Look at who's still here Andrea. I remember when I lost Sophia, not a day goes by that I don't think of her but I keep on fighting because there is nothing else I can do."

"I'm sorry Carol, I just don't see the good in living anymore."

"I know it's hard but you can't give up." Carol moves forward to wrap the blonde in an embrace but stops at the look on Andrea's face.

"I gave up a long time ago, but Michonne was the one who convinced me to keep fighting. It would have been so easy just to give up and stop fighting, but I didn't. She made life worth living, I fought for her. I fought so she would be proud of me, but now I don't even have her anymore."

"You don't know that Andrea."

Andrea sighs and shakes her head, "Can we just not talk about this anymore? Please?" Andrea doesn't give the other woman the chance to respond before she goes to walk away.

"Wait Andrea, I only wanna ask you one more thing and then we can drop it. I had a long talk with Michonne when she brought you back, she was so worried about you. I know it's not my business but do you love her?"

Andrea takes a deep breath as the tears slide down her face. "It doesn't really matter now does it? She's gone and we have a mad man who is coming to kill us all." Andrea finally turns and walks away to find Rick, putting an end to the conversation for the time being.

Michonne wakes up in a haze, confused as to where she is. Her mind is blurry and her head is pounding as if she'd been on a week long drinking binge. She tries to raise her hand to rub out some of the soreness but stops suddenly when she realizes her hands are bound to the chair she's sitting in. "What the..."

"It's so nice of you to join us sleeping beauty. I was beginning to wonder if you were gonna sleep through all the fun stuff."

Michonne's eyes slam open quickly and she comes face to face with the Governor. The events of the last few hours are replaying through her head only causing it to hurt more. She remembered making the mistake of pulling the gun Daryl had given her and only having it jerked away quickly before she even got the chance to fire. Phillip was so mad that he used the butt of the gun to knock her out and after that everything went black but it sure as hell explains the awful pain she was feeling. "Is this how you keep people around, tie them up and take away their choices? Really bad people skills you got there Phillip."

"You pulled a gun on me, what exactly did you expect? After all we've been through, I thought we were doing so well too... You break my heart."

"Kinda gotta have one of those to break it don't ya think?

Phillip gives a snort, "Oh but Andrea sure did love my heart."

"Go to hell."

"Maybe later but for now we have things we need to do. "Phillip gives a nod and two men come up from behind to release her. "Now I'm gonna free your arms but I wouldn't try anything if I were you." Turning his attention back to his goons, "Take her to the truck and make sure she doesn't try to escape. Make sure everything is ready for our departure, I don't want any surprises. I want everyone prepared to go in ten."

The men go to lead Michonne away but she turns her attention to Phillip, one last attempt to change this mind. "Why are you doing this? Those people didn't do anything to you, they are innocent in all of this! I was the one who killed your daughter. I was the one who came in here and took Andrea, it was all me. No one else! You have me, the one who started all of it. You can end this here... Right now... I don't have a problem dying, kill me and avenge your daughter. No one else needs to die, these people aren't a threat to you! They never were, you started this war with them because you are scared!"

Phillip moves so quick that Michonne doesn't have a chance to react as he grabs her face harshly, his nails digging in to the tender skin of her cheek. "You'll suffer more by having to watch me kill your friends, killing you now would be just too easy. Plus to see the look on Andrea's face as I gut you will be priceless, I'll take everyone she has and the then she will have no choice but to come back to me. Don't worry though, I'll use your own knife to put you out of your misery." He taunts her by taking her katana and running the tip o it slowly from her belly button to her throat. "I'm going to take such pleasure in killing you, just the way you did with my Penny. Today is judgement day for you little lady, are you ready to meet your maker?"

"You may kill me but you should know that you are gonna die right along with me."

Phillip gives a small smirk and laugh as Michonne is dragged from the room. "We shall see Mee-Shonne, we shall indeed see."

Back at the prison Andrea paces back and forth in front of the gate, she was sick and tired of just waiting around. "This is such bullshit!" If Michonne was still alive then they were wasting precious time just standing around doing nothing. She hated being stuck here at the prison while Michoone could be out there fighting for her life, she hated not having control over what was happening.

"You know pacing around like that won't make the Governor get here any sooner." Daryl gives Andrea his trademark smirk so she knows he's only joking. "I guess I don't understand why you are so eager to face this bastard."

"I'm aware but I have to do something or else I'll lose my mind. I was never one to be patient, I guess some things never change. How is it that you can be so calm and collected? I'm not eager to face him, I'm ready for all of this to be over. I need some clarity or else my head is gonna explode going through the what ifs."

"I'm neither of those actually, I can just hide my emotions a little bit better than you can. I'm glad you are back Andrea, you belong here with us. And soon enough Michonne will be back here with us too. I know Rick can be a little..." Daryl pauses, trying to think of a word that could describe his friend, "Crazy, but he really is a good man. He lost his wife and we are pretty sure he lost his mind somewhere along the way as well. He hasn't been quite right since, he sees things that aren't really there... He had conversations with people who weren't really there."

"Do you think us staying here was the right choice?" Andrea knows that if she can get an honest answer out of anything, then Daryl would be that person, he wasn't about tip toeing around the truth.

Daryl doesn't get a chance to respond as he makes out the faint sound of tires headed their way. "They're here." Daryl gives out a loud whistle alerting the others that is was time.

Rick and the rest of the group join them seconds later, Carl was up on the roof being a lookout. "Okay everyone just stay calm and do not go outside this gate no matter what." Thank God Beth had taken Judith inside only moments before.

Andrea takes a deep breath as the first truck comes into view. She knew this truck well, it was the same one that had been used to chase her down only days before. Once the truck comes to a complete stop and the door opens she retrieves the pistol she had tucked into the back of her pants. A few minutes later three more vehicles join the other truck. "Of course he didn't come alone, that would have just been too easy." Andrea rolls her eyes while shaking her head. "It means he is running scared."

"Well Andrea, aren't you looking well?" Phillip gives her a once over before reaching back into the cab of the truck to pull out Michonne's katana. He wanted Andrea to be aware that Michonne had been with him at some point.

"Yeah well, no thanks to you." Andrea's breath catches in her throat and her heart drops to her stomach when her eyes land on the object in the mans hand. "No..." Andrea knew that if Phillip had Michonne's katana that it meant something bad, if never left the womans side.

"I don't think that belongs to you." Rick comes up beside the blonde while pointing to the sword, you can see the dried blood glistening in the sunlight. "Where's Michonne?"

"Oh you mean the mighty Warrior Princess? Unfortunately she is no longer with us." The Governor looks Andrea in the eye as a grin stretches across his unshaven face. "Yeah we found her a couple miles back in the woods, the biters got to her. But don't worry I put her out of her misery using this very sword. I know she wouldn't have wanted to be a biter, I really did her a favor."

"You son of a bitch!" Andrea rushes forward but Rick has a tight grip on her shoulder. "Let me go Rick!"

"Don't let him provoke you like this, he's trying to get a reaction out of you. Besides you wouldn't get one foot out of the gate before his people gunned you down." By now everyone has exited their vehicles, they had at least a twenty person lead on them. "There's too many of them, there is no way that we can take them all. It was be a massacre."

Andrea ignores Rick and glares at Phillip, "You're lying! A walker would never be able to take Michonne down! She was too smart for that, too observant. There's no way in hell a walker took her down."

"Aww, now Andrea... Do you honestly think I would lie to you? Well, maybe the biters had a little help in the matter. We may have tied her to a tree to make it just a little bit easier. We had to even the odds just a little bit."

Andrea takes a deep breath, squeezing her eyes closed to stop the tears. "Prove it." She would not cry, she would not break down in front of ths monster.

"Why don't you come out here with me and I'll show you. I kept her head as a souvenir, it's right here in the back of the truck." Phillip smiles as he reaches in the back of the truck to pull something out, making the long dreads visible before dropping it. "See?"

Andrea sinks to her knees, the gravel tearing at her pants and knees as a scream of anguish passes through her lips. "She's really gone." All thoughts of not crying flew out the window as she sobbed into her hands.

Rick sinks down as well wrapping an arm around his friends waist while leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Pull yourself together Andrea! Don't give him the pleasure of seeing you break down like this, it's exactly what he wants. You are playing right into his hands."

"Do you really think I give a fuck?!" She jerks away before standing and once again facing the man she had once shared a bed with, a look of pure hatred marred her beautiful face. "Do you make her suffer?" She almost doesn't get the question out before her voice cracks, a new wave of tears wash over her face.

"Andrea don't..." Rick once again tries to console the woman. "You really don't need to do this to yourself, no need in making it harder than it already is."

"SHUT. UP." Andrea glares at Rick for a split second before turning her eyes back to the Governor. "Answer me."

Laughing mechanically before giving the blonde a wink, "Only a little... We made sure to gut her before tying her to the tree, once the biters got to her it was only a matter of minutes before she turned. And boy was that a sit to behold, I almost hated putting her down. She would have made a great addition to the arena games, remember how much you enjoyed that while you were in Woodbury?"

Andrea moves forward once again, her hands clawing for the latches on the gate. "I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

"Your little girlfriend said the same thing before I sunk her own knife deep into her stomach. But as she took her last breath she knew she had failed... She was a trooper til the end though, her last words had been I'm sorry and then your name. She begged me to spare you all, mostly you Andrea. She was fighting for you even in the end as her insides spilled on the ground."

Andrea feels her heart break at the truth how Michonne had died, sobs rack her body as her hands tremble on the latches. Just as she finally swings the gate open Daryl moves in front of her, stopping her from walking out. "Stop, there's nothing that you can do now. Getting yourself killed won't bring her back, I'm sorry." Daryl feels bad for the woman, he had been so sure Michonne would make it back safely. That was the only reason he had even let her go in the first place and he had been wrong. Now Andrea would never get to hear Michonne say she loved her, a tear slips down his cheek unnoticed. He would have to be the one to tell Andrea of Michonne's love.

"I don't care, I want him to die!" She pushes against Daryl violently, she would rip Phillip apart with her bare hands. "Get out of my way Daryl!" The words come out filled with venom and sorrow.

"And he will, I promise. We will avenge Michonne and Merle, but we have to wait until the time is right." Just as he is closing the gate back a gunshot rings through the air followed by the sound of shattering glass. "What the fuck?"

Phillip draws his gun, as do his men. "You got somebody out there trying to take me out?" He goes to the passenger side of the truck, yanking the door open quickly. "Well would you look at that..." Reaching inside he pulls Michonne's lifeless body to the ground, her blood leaks onto the dirt and grass below. "Now she really is dead and you have no one to blame but your own people."

"Michonne!" Andrea leaps forward again, the shouts of her friends going unheard as she sinks to her knees beside her fallen companion. "Oh God, please don't die Mich!" Andrea looks over the darker body before her eyes come to rest on a single gunshot wound to her shoulder. Covering the wound with her hands, she moves a few dreads from Michonne's face. "Come on Michonne, wake up!" Andrea shakes her harshly, tears blurring her vision. "Come on baby, please don't do this to me!" Andrea watches in horror as the life of her companion pours out all around her. There was so much blood, "Rick! Rick, help me! She's dying here!" Andrea looks down to see the slow rise and fall of the woman she loved chest, she was still alive for now but she wouldn't be for much longer if something wasn't done.

"Now isn't that sweet?" Phillip goes over and puts the barrel of his gun to Andrea's head. "Don't you worry my love, you will be joining her very soon."

Rick leaps forward flanked on each side by Glen and Daryl, while Maggie and Carol bring up the rear. Each of their weapons trained on the Governor. "Easy now, there's no need for that." Rick looks around before letting out an almost silent "damn it" before sighing. They were definitely out numbered.


	10. Chapter 10: The War Is Over

Hello my lovely readers, I'm sorry this took so dang long... I obsessed really bad over this chapter. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!

Chapter 10 : The War Is Over

Phillip turns toward Rick's voice, the gun never leaving Andrea's head. "Lower your weapons or else I'll kill her. I know you don't want that and I don't really want that, so just do as I say so I don't something we both would rather I didn't. All you have to do is lower your guns and then me and Andrea will drive away and I'll never come here again. Lower. Your. Gun. NOW!" Phillip spits the words out as he glares at Rick. His patience was wearing thin, these people were standing in the way of something he wanted and we would not allow that. He wanted Andrea alive for his own personal gain but he would kill her if it came down to that.

"Don't listen to him Rick! He's gonna kill me anyway!" Andrea bites her lip so hard she almost draws blood as she feels Phillip press the gun harder into her head. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. You do whatever you have to do to keep the others safe." Andrea doesn't care if everyone can hear every single word that fell from her lips, she truly meant them. "If Michonne dies then I have nothing else to live for anyway. Amy's gone...Dale's gone, he can finally put me and my pain to rest. It's okay, I'm not scared. Just turn around and pretend like I never came back, pretend I died that night at the farm. If I hadn't come back you'd still believe that any way." She see the look of pain written across her friends face. "It's okay Rick, I won't blame you.. We are doing what comes natural right? Protecting our family? No hard feelings." Tears are streaming down her face causing every inch of her entire body to tremble.

"Andrea don't talk like that, we aren't leaving you! We are a family and we stand by each other, no matter what. We didn't mean to leave you behind the first time..." Carol wipes her tears seeing her friend with a gun at her head made her blood boil. "Rick you have do something." Carol wanted nothing more than to pull the blonde into her arms and never let her go, so she would know how much this group loved and needed her. She had been with them since the beginning and things weren't the same in her absence, Carol didn't want to lose her again. "You can't let this happen."

Rick turns to Carol while gritting his teeth, "I'm trying to do something!" Turning back to Phillip he tries to reason with the man. "There's no reason that we can't work this out, we..."

Phillip cuts Rick off with a loud snort, "Let me guess... No one else has to die? Yeah I've heard that once already today." "Your friend here believed that too, looks like she was wrong huh? But then again it ended up being her own people that took her life. Ha! Bet that bitch didn't see that one coming! The little Warrior Princess said she was gonna kill me...Well look at you now Mee-Shonne." He looks down at Michonne, nudging her harshly with the tip of his boot. "Looks like I'll be the one getting the girl after all."

Andrea pushes at Phillip's foot the best she can while still kneeling beside her fallen friend. "Touch her again Phillip and I swear to you that it will be the last thing that you will ever do. And she may very well die but so will you." She adds in the last part low enough that Phillip doesn't hear. She quickly leans down to press a tender kiss to Michonne's forehead, "I'm sorry. I know you're gonna be upset if you come out of this and I'm not here, but I'm saving you baby. You've saved me so many times in the past, thank you for that. But it's my turn now, please forgive me." Standing up completely she moves to face the one eyed monster head on. "Why don't we settle this right now? Me and you, no one else. You wanna kill me? Well right here I am." Andrea notices the looks Phillip keeps shooting towards the people of the prison. "Don't worry about them, this is all about us. Let's just pretend they aren't even here. They won't do anything to try and stop you, right Rick?" She turns to give the leader a pleading look.

"But Andrea..."

"I said am I right Rick? You are only making this harder than it has to be."

"I don't wanna kill you sweetheart. Come back to Woodbury, it's safe there." Looking around Phillip notions towards the prison with his gun, he can see several walkers in the distance. "I can protect you there. This isn't the place for someone like you, we both know you belong back in Woodbury. With me. There's no biters there, you won't have to be scared when you close your eyes at night. Things are more stable there, Woodbury can provide for you. You know this Andrea. Look around sweetheart, this place isn't safe. These people aren't safe."

"And you are safe? Yeah right, so tell me... Who is gonna protect me from you Phillip? If I close my eyes I'll still have to worry about you." Andrea gives the man a smirk when his grin transforms quickly to a frown. Gotcha mother fucker! She was dancing a dance of happiness on the inside, she had made him falter. "Hit a nerve Phillip? What would your daughter think of you now? Are you a person she would be proud to call her father?" Andrea feels the impact of a hand on her face but she still can't help but smile, that was definitely gonna leave a mark. "I'm thinking the answer is no then." Andrea braces herself for another blow but nothing comes, but the rage in Phillip's face says it all.

"Don't ever talk about my daughter! I loved my daughter and she loved me! She would still be here if that bitch would have just minded her on damn business." Phillip spits the words out as he grabs Andrea's arm and shakes her hard. "You shouldn't speak of things you know nothing about!"

Daryl moves forward at this point, he had had enough. The sound of the Governor's hand connecting with Andrea's face was just too much. "I don't know where you come from but we don't hit woman around here. Now remove your hands unless you want one of my arrows in your skull."

Phillip looks around too see the the prison group pointing their weapons at him. "Well isn't this just cute. You do realize she'll be dead before any of you have the chance to kill me."

Rick raises his gun, "Touch her again and you are dead. I don't care how big of an army you've got, I'll rip you apart with my bare hands. Do you get off on hurting because just because you can?"

"That's what he's good at, right Phillip? Hitting people... Killing people. And of course you can't forget tying them up and taking away their right to make choices. Is that why you kept Penny locked up for so long instead of killing her? So you wouldn't have to be alone?"

"Andrea..." Rick hisses her name, "Don't taunt him, we need to get Michonne inside as quickly as we can." He moves closer still, towards the woman on the ground. His hands in the air above his head, showing he wasn't trying to pull any tricks. "I'm not trying anything Phillip, I just want to get her inside." Rick was starting to become uneasy, between the loud voices and Michonne's blood the prison would be crawling with the dead in no time.

Phillip lets out a laugh as he pushes the gun even harder into Andrea's head, he would not be made a fool of. "One more step closer officer and I'll blow her brains out, what little bit she has. Just doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut, she needs to learn women should be seen and not heard." Phillip gives a wink with his one good eye, "Don't you agree officer?"

Backing up slowly, "I just want to get Michonne out of the line of fire." Rick glares at the man, he was truly evil in every sense of the word. Someone should really teach him how to treat a woman. Rick remembers how he treated Lori in the end but he pushed the guilt aside, can't change it now. "I could never agree to a man raising him hand to a woman in anger, it's just wrong. You better be glad Michonne didn't see or else she'd cut your arms off."

"Mee-Shonne is dead." Phillip lets out another short laugh as a sinister grin stretches over his face. "It doesn't matter if she's in the line of fire or not. Now why don't you just let the bitch stay on the ground, that's her rightful place." He turns to Andrea his hand coming to the side of her face to stroke it lightly. "Just like you belong with me Andrea, you've always belonged to me. You should have never left in the first place Andrea, you made me do the things I did. You were the one who betrayed me by trying to leave."

The feel of the mans rough hands against her check makes her want to recoil in disgust. "I belong to myself Phillip, I am not a piece of property. And how can yousay I betrayed you? I never once lied to you but you continually did it to me. You planned to kill the people that I had spend hours telling you about, what did you really expect?" Andrea wipes at her tears as her eyes move over Michonne's body, she could still see the slight rise and fall of her chest. It was slow and labored but it meant she wasn't gone, at least not yet. "Phillip, you got what you wanted. She's dead, let Rick take her inside before she turns, she wouldn't want anyone to see her like that. She wouldn't want to put anyone in danger. She was my friend I owe her that respect, she was a good person Phillip. She took care of me when I couldn't take care of myself, I owe her my life. Please let us do this for her, are we really asking too much?"

"Do you really think I give a damn what the bitch would want?! She doesn't get to make the rules here, I'm the man with the gun. we can end this right now, a single bullet to the head to stop the change. I can put her down just like she did my sweet Penny. A life for a life, wouldn't you think that's a fair trade? I mean hell, she's dead already. Or maybe I can rip off her mouth and cut off her arms and keep her as a pet, put a chain around her neck. Then you could lead her around like the dog she is, wouldn't that be fun?"

"Fuck you Phillip."

"Such a foul mouth on such a beautiful face, it's a real shame." Phillip kneels down and puts the gun to Michonne's head.

Andrea sees the gun being pressed to Michonne's head and red fills her vision while rage courses through her small body. "No!" Rushing forward she covers the body on the ground under her own. "Please... Please don't shoot her Phillip." She knew Phillip could shoot her down at any moment but if he did then she would go down protecting the one she loved. Taking extra care not to place her whole weight on top of the other woman, "I'm begging you. Just let Rick be the one to handle it."

"She's dead Andrea, you may as well accept it. You wouldn't want her to be a biter right? Ain't that what you just said? I was only joking about keeping her, well maybe I will keep her head... I don't know why your acting such a fool over her any way, she left you remember?"

"She didn't leave me... I was the one who left her." In that instant Andrea knows exactly what she had to do. "I'll go..." Andrea wipes at her tears a look of determination on her face. "I'll go back to Woodbury with you, just please don't kill the people that I love. There's no point in continuing this, Michonne is dead and I'll leave with you."

"You'll go back with me right now, without a fight?" Phillip gives the blonde a disbelieving look, "Just like that? What was it that made you change your mind?"

Andrea takes a deep breath, this had to be done. "Yes, just like that but you have to promise me something. One thing and then I will get in that truck and I will leave with you... And..." The tears are coming in abundance now, making her choke on her words. "And I'll never look back. We will never have to speak of this place or these people again." The words actually hurt Andrea as they flow from her mouth, she loved these people and this is the only place she wanted to be. All she needed to do was to convince Phillip to leave and then she would handle things from there. Her mnd recall Carol telling her to kill him in his sleep, this time she would be able to do it.

"Anything my love. Ask it and it shall be yours, you know that." Phillip gives a bright smile, thinking he was winning and that he had Andrea exactly where he wanted her.

Andrea cringes at the term of endearment, "You have to promise that if I go with you then you will leave my friends alone. That you won't continue this war, this war in a world where the dead walk the earth. End it now, we have enough problems without fighting each other. We aren't the enemy here, why are you making it as if we are? You are teachig these people that they have to kill others just to make it in this damn world."

"Andrea! You aren't going any where with this crazy son of a bitch!" Rick moves closer, his gun aimed at the Governor as he stands beside the blonde. Several of the Governor's men move forward too, their guns pointed directly at Rick. "I won't give him the chance to hurt you again, I owe at least that to Michonne." The prison group takes a few steps closer as well but never leave the safety of the fence. "Andrea... You aren't seeing reason right now, the pain of Michonne being hurt is blinding you. If you go back with him you'll be sighing your death warrant."

Andrea ignores Rick and puts away her gun before she moves to Phillip's side, placing her hand on his outstretched arm forcing him to lower his gun. "Rick! Let me handle this! I'm not asking for your permission, I'm going and that's gonna be the end of it." She gives him a look that begs him to play along. "I'm a big girl now, I know what I'm doing." Under breath she pleads, "Come on Rick I got this under control, don't ruin it for me." Her eyes find his and she hopes thats some sort of understanding she sees shining in his eyes.

"I just watched him raise his hand to you in anger, is this how you want to live the rest of your life? You can forget it And..."

"RICK!" Andrea is tired of fighting, she was so very tired. "All Phillip has to do is make me that promise and we will be on our way. No more fighting, aren't you tired Rick? I know I am."

Rick nods his head and lowers his gun as well. "Of course, we would never keep you here against your will. If you choose to leave with him," Rick gives the man the death stare as he almost chokes on the words. "Then we won't try to stop you." Rick says a prayer to anyone who is listening to please keep Andrea safe, while she was trying to keep everyone else safe. She was gonna make the ultimate sacrifice, herself for the people that she loved. He held the woman in a new light now, repsect was one of the many feelings he felt surge his body. She was one of the good ones in a world where mostly only bad exisited.

Daryl moves towards Andrea, never lowering his crossbow. "Like hell we won't! Have you both lost your fucking mind?!" Catching the breaking of twigs to his left he turns towards the woods to see a few dozen walkers headed their way. "Fuck my existence! Walkers!" Moving towards the gate he stops suddenly when Andrea and Rick stay rooted in place. "Rick, the hell is wrong with you man? There's too many of them, we won't be able to take them all down." When Rick still doesn't move his attention moves to the blonde. "Andrea! Come on woman, you're gonna get yourself killed good and proper if you don't move to the safe side of the gate. Now come on!" When the woman still doesn't move Daryl rolls his eyes, "Crazy bitch." The walkers were still a ways away and they would have to get through the Governor's army first. He hears the gun shots as a few walkers fall to the ground, Carl must stil be out there somewhere.

The rest of the group behind the gate become uneasy at the sight of so many walkers headed their way. They don't move from the safety zone but raise their weapons in preparation, if they let them reach the inner gate then they would be over run.

"It's too late to think of the value of my life..." Andrea was pretty sure that was a line from a song she had heard just before the world ended, but it seemed to fit. She smiles as she remembers Amy belting out the lyrics to the top of her lungs. She also remembers how they both sang horribly to almost every song they heard, she missed her little sister incredibly. Sighing she pulled her gun from it's hiding place, making quick of taking down a walker that was about to sink it's rotten teeth in Daryl's shoulder. Bullets start flying all over as the walkers close in, several of the Governor's men fall to the walkers vicious bites. Their screams only drawing more of the dead, it was too late for them. "Look around Phillip, this is what happens when you live in a sheltered town away from the horrors of the world, you die. Look at what you've taught them, you taught them to fight the humans instead of the real enemy, you've lead them to their death and for what Phillip? Your hatred for Michonne? Are you happy now? You've killed all these people and in the end it was all for nothing, you aren't getting her."

"God damn it!" Phillip moves away from Andrea to join his men against the fight with the undead. "What the hell are you doing? Take them down before they reach us!" Phillip takes out a few of the walkers but more come forward and even more of his mean were bitten.

With Phillip otherwise occupied, Andrea along with Rick moves quickly over to Michonne. They manage to pick the body up and throw it gently over the mans shoulder. "Get her inside, I'm tired of this shit! I'm about to end this." Andrea leans up and gives Michonne one last kiss on the cheek, "Make sure she's safe Rick. I've never asked you for anything, please do this for me." She takes a second to follow Rick inside the gate, a field of walkers was not an ideal place to hold a conversation. "Make sure she knows why I did it, that she knows how much I care about her. I plan to tell her myself but just in case I can't... Will you do that for me? Let he know theres nothing in this world that I want more than being with her."

Rick looks at Andrea while shaking his head, "No absolutely not. Come inside, Michonne needs you right now. Let Daryl handle this, I promise he will get revenge for what was done to you both. Trust me. You don't have to do this." Rick keeps pleading but he can see by the look in the womans eyes that she had made up her mind.

"But I do..." Andrea looks back at the battle taking place in the prison yard, "You know I have to. If we don't end this now, it's never gonna stop. He's never gonna stop. The people that we love... The ones that we fight to protect... They are all gonna die, there wil be nothing left."

Carol moves forward and places her arm around the blonde's shoulder, "Come on Andrea you don't wanna be out here when Michonne wakes up. She's gonna wanna see you I'm sure. You wouldn't want to disappoint her would you?" Carol knows that was a little on the harsh side, but she would say just about anything right now.

Andrea feels a pang in her chest at the thought of Michonne being disappointed in her. "Carol..." She remembers how she felt when she awoke and Michonne was no where to be found, she remembers how much it hurt. She wanted Michonne there but she was out waging wars, and now Andrea was going to do the same to her. The thought alone makes all her doubts come to the surface. She had to be strong, Michonne taught her how to be just that. Michonne might be mad as hell but deep down she hopes there wuld als be some pride mixed in as well.

Maggie comes forward as well and gives a sincere smile, "You can go inside." She can hear the gunshots all around them, surely it would only bring more walkers to their doorstep. "I'll stay outside and help with things out here." For now they were all safe behind the gate but sooner or later the Governor and his men would stop fighting the dead and once again turn on them. "Glenn will stay too."

"Maggie's right, you still aren't at your best either." Glenn moves to Maggie's side and places his arm tightly around her thin waist. "You're gonna get yourself hurt and none of us want to see that happen. We will make sure the Governor is unable to hurt anyone else."

Andrea squints in the sun, while shrugging off Carol's arm. Taking in the faces of the people around her, her pseudo family. "No, what she needs is for me to bring this sick bastard to justice. You can't take this away from me, it should be me! Not Daryl! Thank you for the offer." She gives the group a sincere smile, "It really means a lot but I have to do this. I brought him into all our lives and now I have to take him out. Don't look so sad, I am perfectly capible of handling myself. Michonne taught me well."

"And..." Rick wanted to give one last effort at changing her mind but was once again cut off before he could even finish.

"No, that's enough talking." Andrea gives Rick one last look before walking right back into the horde. She pauses for a split second throwing an "I love you guys" over her shoulder. Everyone is so busy fighting off the dead that they don't even notice the blonde as she picks up her companions forgotten katana. She balances it from one hand to the other, testing the weight and trying to get use to having it in her hand. Just as she is about to drive the sword home into the back of Phillip's head she is stopped by a touch on her arm.

"What the..." Looking back she comes face to face with a somber looking Daryl. "What the fuck Daryl? What are you doing? You can't stop me, no one can." She tried to keep her voice down, not wanting to alert Phillip to what was being planned just behind him. She turns one last time to see the rest of the group headed inside slowly, each looking over their shoulder at her. Her heart breaks at the sight of Michonne's lifeless body thrown over Rick's shoulder. Andrea swallows down the fear telling herself to not think about it, everything would end the way it's suppose to.

"Their all right you know, you should be inside. Daryl gives the blonde a sad smile, "This is your last chance."

"Why? So you can have all the fun?" She gives Daryl a wink when inside she was trembling with fear. This could very well be the end for her, her only regret would be leaving Michonne in this world alone. "It's okay Daryl, really. I know the risk and it's okay."

"You shouldn't be out here wasting precious time that you should be spending with Michonne. Time is not something you should waste now days. We aren't promised another second." When the blonde doesn't respond he continues, "You know what it makes you if you kill him right?" Daryl pulls her back behind the safety of the gate as even more of the Governor's once army is being taken down one by one. The ravenous walkers tear through their flesh as the screams spill from their lips. Daryl remembers how a few days ago he had let Michonne walk right into her possible death, he'd be damned if he let it happen to Andrea as well. He already had blood on his hands and looking around to see the walkers doing a damn good job of taking down their enemy he can't help but feel relieved. This blood would not be on his hands. Maybe they wouldn't even have to fight.

"Yeah it makes me the person who killed that asshole and thus he can no longer hurt the people that I care about. I don't see where I'm losing here." She gives Daryl a questioning look, not understanding why he stopped her. "Just let me get it over with already so I can go be with Michonne, you were right when you said we have already wasted so much time." She thinks of all the time she should have spent with Michonne instead of the Governor, Andrea chokes down the guilt. Now wasn't the time. "You had no problem letting Michonne go out there alone to kill him. What's so different about me? I've spent time with Phillip, he's not gonna hurt me..." Andrea stops suddenly knowing the words she was trying to make Daryl believe were nothing but lies. "I've spent months out there Daryl, this man will not be the one to end me."

"Michonne could handle it... She's not like you. Besides she left me no choice in the matter, if I was smart I would have went with her. Maybe she wouldn't be hurt right now. What's with you two anyway, both are so willing to give up life for the other."

Andrea rolls her eyes as she ignores the mans last statement. Giving Daryl a smirk, "And what am I like Dixon Care to inform me? Do you honestly think I can't handle myself? I'll tell you the same thing I told Carol, I'm not the same person I was before."

"You're an innocent, still such a pure soul in a world gone to hell. Killing a human ain't the same as killing one of those corpses out there. He's a living, breathing human being. You really ready to live with that after the fact? It will mean you took someones life and you can never take it back. You need to take a second to think about it, let it sink in. Someones blood will be on your hands, you'll be a killer."

"Take it back? Why would I want to take it back, he's a monster! He's not even a human, he deserves to die!" Tears of anger are streaming down her face as she watches Phillip fight against the dead that are surrounding him. Andrea wanted so badly to be with Michonne right now but she also wanted to be there when Phillip took his last breath. Michonne would understand, or so she hoped. "All I want is for everyone to be safe and we can be once I kill him. The walkers are getting closer Daryl, we need to make a choice soon."

Daryl smiles sadly as he reaches up to wipe at Andrea's tears, "I'm not disagreeing. I'm just making sure you are getting the big picture. I don't want you to do something you won't be able to live with later. I know he hurt you..." Daryl can actually feel the tears stinging his eyes at the thought of that maniac hurting Andrea.

"It's not the fact that he hurt me... That I can actually deal with, but he hurt Michonne and that is unforgivable. She's in there fighting for her life right now and he still manages to keep me away from her. All the bulshit aside and he still mananges to keep us separated."

Carl comes up from behind, "Well are ya'll gonna do it or just keeping talking about it? Shane would have killed him by now." Carl knows Shane was off his rocker but the truth was the truth, even if the man had lost it in the end. "The walkers are gonna get him before you can if you keep standing around. Not only are they gonna get him, they'll get you too."

Andrea turns towards the voice while frowning deeply. "Carl go back inside with your father, don't you think you've caused enough problems for the day?" The words slip over her lips before she can stop them and she almost regrets them. When she sees the look Daryl is giving her she only shrugs her shoulders. "What? Can't take it back now." She's not even sure that she wants to take it back, he was mad at the little punk.

Carl rolls his eyes before giving her a smirk. "Suit yourself then." He walks quickly out of the gate without looking back. "It always comes down to me when shit gets real.

"Carl, get back here!" Daryl whispers loudly to the boy, "You're gonna get hurt you little son of a..." Daryl moves forward trying to catch Carl's arm before he reaches the Governor.

"This is how it's done." Carl whispers quietly as he comes up behind Phillip without being seen, the one eyed man was too busy still fending off the walkers. Kicking him quickly in the back of the leg so he would fall to the ground while removing his knife from his side. "Got you where I want you now, I'm better with my knife anyway." Carl runs the smooth edge of the blade neatly across the Governor's throat, a sinister smile across his lips as the warm blood seeps through his fingers. He could feel the life pouring out and it felt good. "Don't fight it, just let it take you." Carl takes a few seconds to let the excitement of the kill rush over his small body, it was pure euphoria and it was coursing through his veins at a rapid pace. "You came here looking for trouble, well I guess you found it.

"Carl, no!" Andrea watches in horror as the Governor falls to the ground, clutching his throat and gasping for air. "What the hell just happened Daryl?" Turning back just in time to see Phillip's shaking hand pointing his gun at Carl's head. "No!" She rushes forward but stops mid lunge as a shot is fired and she hears yet another body falling to the earth's floor. "Oh god..." Andrea takes a closer look and notices that Carl's small body is trapped under a larger one. "Milton... Where the hell did he come from?"

Everything had happened so quickly that the blonde never even seen Milton jump in front of Carl to take the bullet. She had seen him go inside with the others, or so she thought. The katana in her hand slips to the ground with a soft clank of metal hitting rock. "This wasn't suppose to happen, no one else that I cared about was suppose to die." Andrea knew Milton was a good man, he really didn't deserve to die but at least he died saving some one. He was a lot like her actually, not wanting anyone to suffer. He'd rather save a life than take one.

"Damn it boy!" Daryl jerks forward, finally having come to after the shock wore off from watching Carl brutally kill someone without remorse. "The hell you think yer doing?" He removes Milton's body as gently as he can incase the man was still alive before jerking the young boy up by his arm. "Are you fucking crazy? Walking out into a war zone like that? Your dad's gonna shit a brick when he finds out! What the hell dude?" Daryl gives off an involuntary shiver at the smile plastered across the boy's face, he was proud of what he'd done. He could see a darkness in the boys eyes and it actually scared him.

"I was getting things done! No one else seems to want to do it, so I had to!" Tears form in his eyes, "It's always up to me when it's important! You know exactly what that feels like right? All that time you spent looking for Sophia, you felt like it was your place."

Daryl realizes the boy is talking about how it was left up to him to take down his own mother but he chooses to ignore it. "More like getting yourself killed you little shit!" Kneeling over the lifeless Milton he sees the wound to the chest, a flash of his brother enters his mind. "Poor bastard never had a chance." He looks around to see most of the walkers still on their knees feasting on the warm flesh. "We should..."

"Is he dead?" Andrea doesn't come closer but instead stays safely behind the gate. The tears prick the back of her eyes, god damn it really sucked being a girl sometimes. All this crying was really starting to get on her nerves. Watching a young boy like Carl take a life, it was something that would forever be burned into her memory. The smile on his face could very well haunt her dreams for many nights to come.

Reaching over to feel the fallen man's neck for a pulse Daryl bows his head when he doesn't feel one. "I'm afraid so Andrea. There's no pulse, probably died instantly. At least he didn't suffer."

Instead of being sad Andrea decides to give into her anger instead. "Well congratulations Carl, you managed to kill not one but two people of our own group today!" Andrea is angry at the boy, but only because he had done the one thing she had wanted to do herself. She knew him shooting Michonne had been an accident but at the same time she was still mad as hell. "Go back inside now!" Looking behind her she sees several of the walkers on the move again, heading straight for them.

"I..." Carl looks down in shame, he felt horrible about what had happened to Michonne. "I didn't mean to hurt Michonne, I would never do that! She saved my life, I only wanted to get her back." Carl slowly removes himself from the ground as he wipes the blood on his clothes. "I only wanted to help her the way she helped me." A few tears slips from his eyes, "I'm sorry..."

"Well you did a real bang up job didn't you?" Andrea winces slightly at the wounded look on the boys face.

"Ease up blondie, what happened with Michonne was an accident. Accidents happen remember?" Daryl gives her a look, "I'm sure it's happened to you before." He always makes sure to give the blonde a wink to let her know he held no hard feelings toward her.

Andrea knows Daryl is referring to the time she had accidentally shot him in the head, mistaking him for a walker. "I'm sorry..." She knows she's being harsh but this kid just shot the woman she loved. "Carl, I..." Andrea is cut off by the sounds of growling. "Daryl, look out!" No sooner than the words left her lips, Milton already had his reanimated hands wrapped around Daryl's shoulders. Milton had turned quickly, Andrea remembered Amy taking hours to make the change. Carl looks on in shock, afraid to move for fear that the man would come after him instead. Luckily all the other walkers save for the few that were now headed their way were all still busy with their current meals. Her stomach churns, threatening to throw up the small lunch the group had forced her to eat earlier. "Oh God."

"Sum bitch!" Daryl pushes the walker off while ramming his knife deep into it's skull. "Jesus, we need to get inside right now." Dayrl reloads hos bow beofre taking down a walker just behind Carl. "Pretty soon the others are gonna realize fresh food is still around and I'd rather no be here when that happens, so move your asses."

"Are you okay?" Andrea comes from behind the gate her eyes scanning the area to take in the carnage that surrounded their so called home. Most of the Governor's men had fled while the others were being devoured by the dead. That's when it hits her, Phillip was still there. Noticing Michonne's katana still laying on the ground where she had dropped it earlier, she picks it up while walking slowly to her once lover. The site made her gasp but she felt no pity for the man. He was still alive but only just, he was still clutching at his throat as if to stop his worthless life from flowing out of his neck. Would he beg for his life, God she hoped so. A walker was closing in fast, prepared to make Phillip it's next meal. The walker was a smaller person, probably a child of around Carl's age, it's lips were caked with dried blood. It's eyes were a milky white and it's teeth snapped at Andrea, ready to make her his next meal.

"Wait Andrea, don't get too close." Daryl takes out the approaching child with a heavy heart while he keeps a watch to make sure none of the remaining walkers got too close, most were busy chewing on the remains of the Governor's army. Daryl shakes his head, "Poor fuckers."

"Phillip..." Andrea kicks the man harshly, much the same way he himself had done to Michonne. No one came to his aid like the blonde had for Michonne. "How are you feeling love?" She spits the words out and they are laced with venom and hate. "I hate to be the one to break it to you but..." Andrea pauses as a grin spreads over her beautiful face, "You aren't looking so well. I don't think you are gonna make it."

"And...Andre...Help..." The words barely gurgle out of his mouth, blood seeped over his lips and down his chin with each ragged breath he took. He knew his time was almost over and now he could be with Penny. "Penny..."

"Yes Penny, but...I'm sorry to say this Phillip, but you won't be going where she is." Leaning down so she is at eye level with the one eyed man, Andrea gives him a fake smile. "But don't you worry Phillip, I'm gonna help you alright." Her smile turns into a smirk as she rises to her feet, "Oh and Phillip? I could have never loved a monster like you, only one person has rights to my heart. You can call this Mercy." Bringing the katana down quickly she pierces it through his remaining eye, he didn't even deserve to be reborn as a walker. He had taken too many lives while he was a human, Andrea wouldn't give him the chance to take even more as a walker. "Catch fire, Phillip." She pushed the blade in further still, not stopping until she felt the tip hit the ground.

"Catch fire? What's that?" Daryl comes up beside Andrea as she kicks at the corpse of the Governor. "New catch phrase?" Daryl takes down another walker without even batting an eye.

Andrea shrugs, "Means go to hell..."

"Nice one blondie, too bad no one is alive to make it go viral. But I'll be sure to use it every chance I get though." Daryl bumps shoulders with his friend, trying to make her smile.

"Shut up."

"What? It was a good one." Daryl laughs while once again reloading his bow, sadly he was almost out of arrows.

Looking around the yard she removes her gun, taking out as many walkers as she can from where she's standing. "A little help here fellas?" Andrea gives the boys a small smile as she takes down yet another of the dead. "Or do you plan on letting the woman do all of the hard work here?"

"Why bother? We are just wasting bullets, they will wonder off after a while." Carl asks the question but lowers his head as he sees the look on Andrea's face.

"We bother because if we don't handle it now it will only be more work and walkers to deal with later. The ones who haven't turned yet will be easy to deal with. We can use our knives and save our bullets if we get to them before they change. They will be easy pickings but we need to hurry, Milton changed in a matter of minutes."

"She's right kid. They could all wonder off but I'd rather not take that chance." Daryl uses several of his arrows to kill the already reanimated corpses, before using his knife on some of the others. "This is the place we are calling home and I do not like the thought of walkers just roaming around." He knew we would need to collect his arrows later or else his main weapon would be useless.

"Carl, either help us out or take your ass inside. The last thing we need right now is for you to get bitten." Andrea rolls her eyes as she pulls the katana from the head of one of the Governor's men before moving on to the next. She sighs loudly as Carl moves over to a slow moving walker, driving his knife deep into it's skull. "That's more like it, the quicker we do this the quicker we can go inside."

Inside the prison Hershel is leaned over Michonne trying to see what the damage is. "It's a flesh wound, the bullet went clean through so it should heal up quite nicely. It probably wouldn't hurt to have her take a round of those antibiotics just in case."

"Why isn't she waking up?" Maggie looks over at Michonne with a deep frown on her face, she had grown to really like the other woman as time passed. She and Andrea would be good for each other, they both only wanted to protect the one they loved. Now that they were both back here and safe things would get better. Maggie sighs when she realizes that they aren't all safe yet, Andrea was still outside with that monster and the last she had heard the woman planned on leaving with him. Sure she and Andrea had their problems when the blonde had left Beth alone when she was wanting to kill herself. But Maggie had gotten over it quickly and she grew to really trust and look up to the other woman.

Hershel points to a large bruise that runs into Michonne's hairline, "It looks like she was hit over the head with something. If you look closely you can see the knot as well as the blood. She was probably unconscious before Carl even shot her, which may have very well saved her life. A few inches to the right and she could have been hit in the heart."

"So she will eventually wake up?" Maggie slowly runs her fingers up a dark arm, she prayed Michonne would wake up soon. Andrea needed her and if she didn't make it then Andrea would probably die right along with her. The little time that had passed after Michonne's departure had been brutal, mostly on Andrea.

"I don't see why not... Why don't we move her into a cell so she will be more comfortable. When she wakes up we can decide what to do from there. For now I'll just bandage the wound so it doesn't get infected. It's gonna be painful for a while but it's nothing that won't heal over time."

"We should put her in Andrea's cell, I'm sure she will want to be close to her when she comes in." Maggie smiles as she pushes one Michonne's dreads behind her ear, she was so relieved that the woman would be okay. "How do you think it's going out there? It's been a lot longer than I expected it to be. I'm starting to worry."

Rick comes in at that moment, you can see the unease in his eyes. "I was actually just about to go check on things, Carl hasn't come back inside either. Do you feel up to joining me? They may need some help and two is always better than one."

Maggie's eyebrow raises at the question, "Yeah sure but first will you help me get her into Andrea's room? I wouldn't ask but I don't think I can manage alone."

Rick nods his head as he gently lifts Michonne bridal style into his arms, quickly carrying her into one of the larger cells that Andrea had claimed as her own. "I want the door locked after we leave..."

Maggie gives Rick a confused look. "But my dad said she was gonna be fine, the bullet went straight through. You know Andrea won't agree to sleeping in another cell right? She just got her back, she won't want to leave her again. Can't really say that I blame her."

"That's my family out there, your family... It's not a risk I am willing to take, are you?" Once they lay Michonne on the bed and cover her they slip out the door quietly. "I'm just trying to make sure we have all the basics covered."

Before they make it to the door Beth stops them. "I want to help too, Andrea is my friend." Beth has on several layers of clothes, including some of the riot gear a large knife was clutched in her dominant hand.

"No Bethie, you need to stay inside where it's safe." Maggie give sher baby sister a sad smile, "I know you want to help sweetie but we can't put you in any danger."

"Maggie's right Beth you need to stay inside, but if you'd like to help you could start on dinner."

Beth sighs but nods her head, "Yes sir." Beth walks away with her head hung low, she was tired of having to stay inside while everyone else got to help. Even carl got to help.

Once outside they see Andrea, Daryl and Carl clearing out the walkers. "You guys need any help out here?"

Andrea looks up from the walker she'd just killed, she remembered him as one of the Governor's new men. Alan, if she remembered correctly. "Actually we are pretty much done out here, what do you want us to do with the bodies?"

Rick looks around a notices bodies littering the yard in several piles. Sighing, "I guess we should bu..." He stops mid sentence when his eyes fall on a familiar face among the carnage. "Is that Milton? What the hell happened? We was just inside with us earlier, when did he come back out?"

"Actually Rick..." Daryl pauses as he looks at Andrea, he only continues when she nods her head. "That's something we need to talk to you about."

Rick sees his son standing beside Daryl with his head bowed. "Carl, what are you doing down here? You should have came straight inside, we still need to talk about what happened to Michonne out there."

Andrea comes up and paces her hand on Rick's arm, "Do you think we can talk about this inside? The sun is starting to set and I want to check in on Michonne, we will have plenty of time to talk later. I was wondering if we could bury Milton, instead of burning him. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the meds he gave us. W could at least do that for him... Right?"

"Of course, but not tonight okay? Just bring him inside the other gate and cover him, we will dig his grave at first light. The walkers won't get to him in there."

"Thank you."

"The Governor?" Rick knew the others weren't in the mood to talk about it but he needed to know the man was no longer a threat.

"Taken care of." Andrea motions to the piles of bodies draped on top of each other, "We were planning to pile them all together further away from the prison and burning them. Not right away of course but maybe tomorrow morning when things settle down." ANdrea pauses for a long second, "Mich?" Andrea's voice breaks as she asks about the woman, the pain lingers on her lips even after the name had passed. She had been avoiding asking about the other woman for as long as she could. She was truly afraid of the answers she would get.

"Sleeping. Maggie thought we should put her in your room, she said you wouldn't want to be away from her. Hershel bandaged her up but told us that the bullet passed cleanly through her shoulder."

Andrea sighs in relief as a lone tear slides down her cheek. "So she's gonna be okay? I'm not gonna lose her again?"

"Yes, she's gonna be back to slicing heads of unsuspecting walkers in no time." Rick gives Andrea a bright smile as he wraps her in a one armed hug. "She's gonna be very happy to see you are still here, we all are."

You hear a loud whoop coming from Daryl as he and Carl high five. "See I told you Andrea, she's one tough broad." Daryl gives a wide smile, now the two could finally be together.

Andrea goes to head back inside before stopping and turning to Rick with a hurt expression written on her face. "You know I wasn't really gonna go back with him right?"

"Well I didn't think so but I know we would do anything to protect the people that we love. You're a good person Andrea, don't ever let anything change that about you."

"Why don't we go inside so you can see for yourself, we can take care of this in the morning. I don't want anyone outside the secure fence after dark, it's too dangerous. Plus the fire would be less likely to attract walkers if we do it during the day." Rick smiles at the thought of his family being together again. His eyes travel to the treeline were he sees Lori smiling brightly at him and even though he knows she's not real he can't help but smile back. "Come on, I think Beth was making something to eat. Of course it won't be what you're use to at Wood..." Rick trails off when he sees the wounded look on Andrea's face. "I'm sorry Andrea, I..." He shakes his head lightly, silently berating himself for bringing up that town.

Andrea waves him off, "It's okay. I know what you are saying, I know we have things we will have to work through but we will."

"Yes we will... Together." Rick follows the others back inside taking a seat at one of the tables. Everyone was smiling and talking among themselves, they were all happy to have everyone back were they belonged. They had lost so many but at least they still had some of their family left.

Everyone turns in their direction as the bars close behind them. Carol is the first to rise as she rushes to Andrea's side wrapping her arms around her thin shoulders. "Oh thank God you are okay. I was so worried about you Andrea! I honestly thought you were going to leave with him."

Daryl smirks, "Yeah me and Carl are okay too Carol. Thanks for asking." He gives the woman a smile before laying down his cross bow and grabbing a cloth to wipe his hands. "What are we? Chopped liver?"

Carol blushes at the smile from the man, "I'm glad you are all okay." Carol takes the cloth from Daryl and hands it to the blonde so she can do the same.

Andrea can't help but giggle as she gives the older woman a kiss on the forehead. "Did you have your doubts?"

"I didn't want you to leave again, we just got you back. I..." Carol cuts off as the tears stream down her face. "I'm..."

Andrea takes mercy on the woman, "Hey now. There's no need for those tears." She gives a small smile as she wipes them away with her thumbs. "I'm right here and I'm not leaving you guys again, you are all my family and I have missed so much already." Giving Carol one last squeeze she sits down to a steaming bowl of what looked to be soup. She takes the first bite and as it slides down her throat and warms her stomach she realizes just how hungry she is. She continues to shovel spoonful after spoonful in her mouth, the warmth burning her throat as it went. It wasn't a bad feeling, the warmth make her feel alive.

"Whoa slow down woman, ain't no one gonna take it from ya." Daryl sits down beside the blonde with a bowl of his own. "Careful or yer gonna choke on it."

"Sorry..." Andrea blushes as all eyes fall on her, "I'm just anxious to go check on Michonne. I know Rick told me she's fine but it's one of those things that I need to see for myself, you know?"

"Well you need to eat first and take another round of the antibiotics that Milton..." Looking around quickly Hershel frowns when he doesn't see the man in question anywhere. "Where is Milton? I'd like to ask him a few questions about where he got the medication and stuff like that. If there's more we need to get it and have it on hand. The way you idiots get hurt, we need all we can get."

Daryl drops his spoon into his bowl loudly, the clatter makes every head turn in his direction. "Umm... Actually, Milton didn't make it. The Governor shot him and we had to put him down once he turned." Daryl's eyes find Carl's for a split second before the young boy averts his eyes, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room. "There were dozens of walkers out there, but don't worry we took care of them. Milton just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, a casualty of war if you will. It happens a lot you know, we actually got off easy if you ask me. we could've lost a lot more."

"Daryl?" Andrea put her hand on the mans arm to silence him, "Let's talk about this later okay? For now let's all just sit and enjoy our dinner and each others company, we deserve it. Just for tonight, please?"

"I agree, everyone just finish up their dinner and lets call it a night. It's been a long day and we all need to take time to reflect on what happened today." Rick looks at Andrea with a small smile on his face, "Carol will show you were you can get cleaned up and then you can go see about Michonne. We have some extra clothes you can change into as well, when things die down some we can go ino town and get more."

"Thank you, it's good to be back."

Rick smiles but it fades just as quickly as it appears as his eyes rest on his son. "Carl me and you need to have a conversation tomorrow morning about what happened tonight."

Carl lowers his head, he knew this would be coming sooner or later. "Yes sir."

No more than an hour later Andrea was entering the cell with fresh pajamas on, she feels a hundred times better now that all the grime and blood wasn't coating her skin. Looking over to the woman on the bed Andrea lays her knife and gun down before making her way over to Michonne. Taking the wet cloth she gently runs it over Michonne's face trying to remove some of the dirt and blood so she would look like the woman she loved. "I've missed you so much Mich, I'm so happy that we are back together again." After a few moments she's satisfied with her work and she places a chaste kiss to the corner of dry lips. "You know when you wake up there is so much that I want to tell you. I really hope you decide to stay here with the group... But the truth is that I'd follow you anywhere, I'm never letting you walk away from me again."

"Andrea?" Rick walks in slowly before kneeling by the bed, a slight frown across his features. He knew what he had to say could very well cause another heated arguement between the two.

"Oh Rick, I'm sorry I didn't realize we weren't alone in here. I was just telling Michonne how much we had to talk about when she wakes up."

"Just wanted to check in really quick and make sure everything is okay. Are you sure you wanna sleep in here with her? Maybe it would be for the best if you stayed somewhere else, just for tonight."

Andrea gives the man a confused look, "Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I want to stay with her? Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"No, no everything is just fine..."

"Okay..." Andrea gives the man a look that says she doesn't believe him. "I'm okay here, I don't want to leave her."

"Okay well... If you need anything I'll only be a few cells down."

"Thank you." Andrea stifles a yawn as Rick leaves the room, she may actually be able to sleep in peace tonight. "Good night Mich, I love you."

Andrea gives Michonne one last look as she climbs into the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Her body relaxes into the bed, her muscles losing their tension as her eyes drift shut.

A few hours later Andrea is awoken by the sound of feet on the stone floor. Lifting her head and rubbing her eyes she smiles brightly when she sees Michonne standing a few feet away. "Hey Mich, whatcha doing?" When she doesn't get a response Andrea gets out of the bed and moves closer, placing her hand on a dark shoulder. "Hey..." She has to stifle a scream as the other woman turns around clawing at her pajamas. Falling backwards she blindly reaches for her gun. "Mich..." Tears stream down her face as her fingers wrap around the cold metal of the gun. Just as she raises the gun she feels blinding pain all over her body as Michonne's teeth sink into the tender flesh of her shoulder. She closes her eyes tightly as she feels her flesh being ripped away. Phillip had won in the end after all. He had taken away Michonne and now Michonne had taken her life with one vicious solitary bite. "I'm so sorry..." Andrea pulls the trigger and Michonne's body slams to the floor. Falling back on the bed she pulls Michonne's once again lifeless body into her arms, while whispering how sorry she was and how much she loved her. Wiping her eyes and sighing loudly puts the gun to her head, "There's no happily ever after at the end of the world." Closing her eyes she whispers a painful goodbye to the people she called her family. She wouldn't make it harder on them by leaving them the task of killing her once she's changed. She recalls the dream she had while still back in Woodbury, maybe it had meant something after all. Some sort of foreshadowing, only it was Michonne who had ended up biting her and ultimately taking her life. It was ironic really, the one person she had wanted to live for had been the one to end her. She hoped they would bury their bodies side by side, because even in death it was the only place she wanted to be. Closing her eyes tightly she sighs sadly before pulling the trigger, her body slumping over onto Michonne's. Their blood pooling together on the floor, becoming one.

Andrea sits straight up in the bed, gasping for air as she looks around. She sighs when she sees Michonne sleeping peacefully on the other bed. "Oh thank God!"

okay guys to be honest I had planned on ending the chapter after the shot but was afraid my readers would be upset and not read the next chapter so I didn't leave it hanging... It did however kill a part of of soul just writing it! Hope you enjoyed and will continue reading!


	11. Chapter 11: Breath Of An Angel

Okay, first off let me apologize for how long it took me to get this update done. I have tons of excuses but I won't give them to ya! I hope everyone is still interested in this story. As always thank you for reading and don't forget to review!

Chapter 11 : Breath Of An Angel

Andrea sits straight up in bed, her hand automatically going to her shoulder. It was almost as if she could actually feel Michonne's teeth tearing into her flesh and ripping it away with her new walker teeth. She can feel her heart beating fast and her entire body is covered in a thin sheet of sweat, her eyes quickly dart to the other side of the room where her companion is now laying. Michonne looked so small laying on that bed, but at least she was still alive and at that moment all Andrea wanted to do was curl up in that bed right beside her love. Standing on shaky legs she slowly makes her way to Michonne's bedside, she breathes a sigh of relief when she sees the slight rise and fall of the woman's chest. Cupping a dark cheek softly in her hand, she can't seem to stop the unwanted tears from slipping down her cheek. "Oh Michonne, I am so sorry that all of this happened to you because of me. Please don't leave me Mich, I can't bare this world if you aren't in it. I can't do it, I don't want to... Not if you aren't by my side. I've lost everyone I love, everyone dies and I'm always left here alone with no one. I just can't do that anymore. My life changed for the best that night you found me in the woods and I'm not ready to give you up yet. You're my person Michonne, you know that one person that you would go to the end of the earth for. The one person who can make you smile no matter what's going on around you."

Andrea leans over and gives the warrior a light kiss on the lips, "Please come back to me Michonne. I'll beg if that's what it takes, and I've never begged for anything. But I need you to fight, fight to come back to me. Remember? You're a fighter by nature, so don't you dare give up on me now!" Smiling sadly she moves away from the woman and back towards her bed, quickly dressing in the clothes Carol had given her when she first woke up. Andrea can't help but wonder if this was how Michonne felt when Andrea was the one sleeping, had Michonne begged the way she is right now? Had Michonne felt like life wasn't worth living, the same way she was feeling? Moving forward Andrea's whole body seemed to be protesting each and every movement she made, she could feel the fever still radiating through her body. The fever was starting to spike again, grabbing the pill bottle beside the bed she pops two of the pills before taking a long drink of the bottle of water that was also beside the bed. Pulling her hair into a loose ponytail she finally makes her way towards the group room. "Hey guys sorry I slept so late, I was physically and emotionally drained. But I'm feeling much better now that everyone is back where they belong." Andrea closes her eyes in a moment of silence for those who were no longer with them.

"Hey Andrea, it's okay you really needed the rest but now that you are awake we should really get to work." Rick stands and gives Andrea somewhat of a chastising look. "We can't afford to sit around and waste daylight."

"Good grief Rick, give the woman a moment before you go to bossing her around. Besides she needs to eat before she can get started." As if on que Andrea's stomach rumbles loudly. "See, her stomach agrees. Carol smiles as she places a small bowl of oatmeal in front of her friend. "Sorry, we don't have many options now days. But it's warm and it will fill your stomach, there's also water at the end of the table as well." Carol leans down to whisper lightly in the blondes ear, "don'y ind Rick. He has his ass on his shoulders about everything this morning.

Andrea smiles back warmly at the womanas she tries to hold in a laugh. "This is perfect Carol, thank you." Andrea quickly takes several bites before finally slowing down and savoring the food when she sees the looks she's getting from the others. "Sorry..."

Rick rolls his eyes but sits back down in his chair, "Just hurry. The weather is bad out today and we need to hurry and get things settled in case it gets worse later. I know you've been through hell these last few day, we all have but we have to get going and not fall behind because we've had a bad day."

"Andrea? How is Michonne? Was she awake this morning?" Carol can't help but take pity on the blonde, Rick was all business here lately and she could see the look of discomfort on her friends face.

Andrea looks over at Carol and gives her a grateful smile. Bless Carol's heart, she is such a kind soul. "She's still sleeping, is that normal?" Andrea directs the question at Hershel even though she is having a conversation with Carol. "It's been quite a few hours now and I'm really starting to worry." Andrea doesn't mention her dream but it's still plays through her mind every single time she closes her eyes.

"She's probably exhausted, I don't think she's slept since you've been back. That paired with her injuries, yeah I would say that it's pretty common. Let's give her a little more time before we start to worry. If she hasn't woken up by tonight then we may have to rethink our options." Hershel catches the look of panic on Andrea's face and tries to give her a reassuring smile, "I'm sure she will be just fine."

Andrea takes the last bite of her breakfast before moving to her feet, "Okay I'm ready." The entire group save for Beth and Hershel follow the blondes lead, it was time they got this day started. Andrea looks over her shoulder at Beth and Hershel, "Look in on Michonne for me? And you'll come and get me if anything changes... And I do mean anything."

"Of course Andrea." Beth gives the blonde as small smile before turning her attention back to the baby in her arms.

Michonne's eyes feel heavy but she can hear someone speaking to her. She knew that voice, it was asking her to wake up and to stay alive. Her heart breaks at how sad and defeated Andrea sounded but then just as suddenly it soars high as she feels the small kiss the blonde places on her lips. And it was in that moment that Michonne knew she had to wake up, she had to wake up for Andrea. There were lots of reasons she should just fall into the darkness that was surrounding her, and there seemed to be only one reason keeping her grounded to this world. And that reason alone was the most important reason there was, Andrea wanted her to wake up. So that was exactly what Michonne was gonna do, she was gonna pull herself out of this hole and get back to the person who needed her.

Michonne's eyes finally open and she looks around the empty cell, her head was pounding and her shoulder felt as if it was on fire. Looking around she sighs loudly when she realizes she's all alone, Andrea is no where to be found. She could have sworn she heard Andrea's voice just moments before, but the room was empty and there was no proof that Andrea had even been there. Michonne thought maybe she was hearing things again, the same way she had at the beginning of this whole mess. "How the fuck did I even get back to this place?" Sitting up in the bed she slowly goes to stand, testing to see of her legs would cooperate with her. Pushing forward she has to brace herself on the edge of the bed, her legs wobbly under her full weight. As she applies more weight to her arm that is pressed into the bed she winces as pain shoots over her shoulder and through her neck. "Jesus, what the hell happened to me?" Sitting down once again on the edge of the bed she slowly slides down the strap of her tank top, she is met with bulky bandaging and no memory of what happened. Looking around the realization that Andrea must have been her imagination playing tricks on her.

"Andrea..." The name slips over her lips in a ghost of a whisper as she racks her brain trying to remember what happened in past few hours. The last thing she remembered was being in Woodbury with that monster that called himself the Governor. Since she was back at the prison then Andrea had to be here as well, it's where she had left her just a day before. But just as quickly she remembers the fever the blonde was fighting and she almost falls to her knees at the thought of the fever over taking the woman. Moving towards the door she ignores the pain as she rushes to the room where she hoped the group was, she needed answers and she sure as hell hoped they could give them. As she stumbles into the room she is only met with the confused face of Beth and a crying Judith. "Beth."

"Michonne, hey!" Beth comes over and gives the dark woman a one armed hug. "It's so good to see you awake, you've been out all night and most of the day. But my dad said you probably needed the rest. How are you feeling?"

"Where is everyone?" Michonne's voice is low and husky from it not being used. Glancing around she takes in that everything looks exactly as it had before she left to go after the Governor. Was Andrea here? She had to be, unless they had handed Andrea over to the Governor the same way they had planned to do with her.

"They're all outside..." Beth cuts the sentence off with a sad look making it's way on her face. "They've been out there most of the day. Why don't you sit down and I'll get you something to eat, are you hungry?"

Michonne ignores the question only to ask one of her own. "What exactly are they doing outside? Is it the Governor?" Michonne can feel the panic as it starts in her gut and then quickly moves into her chest. The group was outside, could that mean that someone had not made it? Michonne's mind was running rampant, had someone she had grown to like been killed?

"He's dead." Beth turns her attention back to the baby in her arms, trying her hardest to avoid the questioning eyes of the other woman. She knew the dark woman was getting frustrated with her with her vague answers.

"Beth, can you please just answer my question? Why are they outside?" She didn't like it at all that the young blonde was being evasive, it was grading hard on her nerves. The young girl wouldn't even look into her eyes, that made Michonne believe it was bad.

"Funeral, we lost one of our own in the showdown. So everyone went out to show their respect."

Michonne's heart breaks at the thought of one of her friends being dead. "And... Everyone is out there?" She is trying her best to get a straight answer, she can fill her heartbeat quicken as she prepares herself for the answer to her next question. "Andrea?" Michonne meant the question to be is Andrea the one they are burying. She can't help but hold her breath, she knew the answer would very well be yes and end her entire existence.

Beth misunderstanding the question, slowly shakes her head yes. "Yes, Andrea." She gives Michonne a small smile, she knew the other woman would be happy that Andrea was up and about.

At that moment she feels as if her heart had stopped beating and she had died right then and there, the tears prick her eyes. Beth had just confirmed her worst nightmare, Andrea was dead and the others were outside right now putting her in her final resting place. A fucking prison, Andrea deserved better than that. She needed to get out there before they finished, she needed to see her one more time. Michonne had only wanted one thing and that was to save Andrea and make sure she had some sort of life. But she had failed and now her reason for existing was no more, she was no more. "no... What happened?"

Beth is utterly confused by Michonne's reaction, she thought the other woman would be happy that Andrea was okay. "Michonne are you okay, do I need to go and get my father?" Beth moves closer, ready to be there if she was needed. Michonne looked as if she was about ready to pass out and her eyes were glazed with unshed tears.

"I'm fine Beth, I just need to get outside with the others." She moves to go past the girl but a hand on her shoulder stops her. "Look Beth no offence but I really don't wanna talk right now."

"I just don't think this is a very good idea, the others will be able to handle this themselves. You can barely stand on your own right now, besides they should be back in any minute now. Just sit down and and I'll get you some water, you look as if you are dead no your feet."

"I have to Beth." You can hear the pain behind every single word. "I have to go and say goodbye or I'll never be able to forgive myself." The thought of saying goodbye to the person she loved killed her inside, she had nothing without Andrea. Yet her Beth sat like all was well in the world, Michonne had thought the young girl felt more for Andrea than that.

"Okay." Beth gives the other woman a confused look, had Michonne and Milton really been that close?" Seeing the sadness in Michonne's eyes she sighs deeply. "Okay but please just take it easy okay?" Just as Michonne is walking away Beth speaks again, "Hey Michonne? I'm really glad you are going to be okay, everyone else will be happy too."

"Doesn't really matter too much anymore, now does it?" The words come out angry as she swipes at the tears rolling down her face, she thinks of her sweet Andrea being laid in the cold ground just outside those prison doors. What was the point in living when the one person she had been living for was now lost to her.

"What are you saying? Of course it matters!" She gives Michonne a look of sadness when she sees the tears, "Why are you crying? Andrea..." Beth finally thinks she understands what the problems is, Michonne thinks Andrea is dead.

Michonne cuts the girl off as she once again wipes at her tears. "It's nothing, I'm just gonna go now Beth."

"No wait Michonne, you misunderstood!"

Walking away quickly shes finds herself outside in the rain watching with regretful eyes as Rick shovels the last bit of dirt on top of the fresh grave. Michonne looks up at the sky, it was almost as if the heavens were crying right along with her. Crying for the loss of one of the most amazing, loving and caring person she had ever met. Falling to her knees as the reality of the situation washes over her, tears wash over her face as she closes her eyes trying to picture Andrea's beautiful face just one more time. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye, she had tried so damn hard to save her and in the end she had failed so miserably that Michonne was sure she'd died right then and there. "Andrea..." It comes out more of a sob than an actual name. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you, I tried so incredibly hard." The slow rain that is falling was mixing with her tears cascading down her face. She could feel the gravel scrapping at her knees through her jeans and the water soaking into her clothes as well. Thunder rumbles all around her and lightening splits the sky, she felt as if the whole world was crashing in around her.

"Michonne? Oh thank God you are awake, I was so worried about you!" Andrea is glad to see Michonne up and about but she was confused as to why she was kneeling in the dirt crying. She could hear her sobbing even though she was still at the woman's back. "Hey, what's wrong Mich? Are you in pain?"

"An... Andrea?" Michonne stands to her feet and quickly turns towards the voice that belongs to the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. She had been sure she'd never have the pleasure of hearing that voice again, but here she stood right before her with that amazingly cute smirk etched across her lips. Dirt and sweat caked her beautiful face, but she had never look so beautiful in Michonne's eyes. "Am I in heaven? You are the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time."

Andrea blushes at the compliment but still manages to give out a loud laugh as she moves closer. "Sweetheart if this is heaven I'd sure hate to see what hell looks like. "What were you doing down in the mud? You look as if someone told you your best friend died."

"Beth... Beth said, she said..." Her lungs felt as if they were on fire as she gasps for breath, she thought she was hallucinating just as she had done before. But she would damn sure take it if it meant she got too see Andrea again. She had so many things she wanted to say but her mouth didn't seem to want to cooperate with her brain at the moment.

"Whoa, easy killer. Calm down and take a few deep breaths, then you can tell me what exactly Beth said to you to upset you so much and had you on the ground in tears." Andrea would most definitely have words with the young girl as soon as she seen her. "Just breathe babe, in and out." Andrea rubs her hands up and down Michonne's arms hoping to warm the other woman up.

"She said that you were gone and that the others were out here burying you." Michonne moves her hand to the blondes face, just wanting to touch her so she'd know she was really there. Gently cupping the blondes face she gives a slight tug and pulls the shocked woman into her arms, burying her face deep into the crook of her neck. Breathing in Andrea's scent she can't help but smile, only Andrea could still smell like vanilla and apples at the end of the world and covered in muck. "Please. please just tell me that you are real and you aren't gonna just disappear."

Andrea can feel the other woman trembling against her own body. "I'm here Mich. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere." She wraps her arms tightly around the other woman, hoping to give her some sort of comfort but it was actually giving Andrea herself comfort. It felt so good to be held in the woman she loved arms again, "I'm never leaving you you again Mich. It should have never happened in the first place, in case you haven't noticed you are kind of stuck with me. Where ever you are, that's where I want to be. I never want you to leave my side again."

"You're not dead." She wraps both her arms around Andrea's waist as she sobs into the blondes neck. "Andrea, I'll never leave."

The words are muffled because they are said into her neck but it was still clear enough for Andrea to hear. Those words go straight to Andrea's heart and it makes it hurt deeply. She can feel Michonne's tears as they soak into the skin of her neck, "No baby, I'm not dead." She tries to smile brightly as she kisses her warrior on the cheek. "Now come on and lets get you back inside before you catch a cold on top of your other injuries, you don't even have on a jacket." Andrea also notices the woman is without her beloved katana, she must have been in a huge hurry to have left it behind. Of all the time she had know Michonne she's never seen the woman without her sword other than that time in Woodbury.

"I thought you were gone, that they had already buried you before I could get out here. I thought I'd never get the chance to see your beautiful face again, that I'd missed the chance to say goodbye. The thought of you not being here at my side made me want to die right along with you." She clutches the blonde even tighter, the pain in her shoulder making her wince slightly.

"Look at me Michonne, I'm right here." Andrea's heart aches as it's plagued with thoughts of death, especially Michonne's death. She doesn't tell the other woman that she doesn't want her to say things like that, but only because she knows she'd feel exactly the same way.

"But..." She sniffles as she wipes at her eyes. Andrea's body felt so damn good pressed into her own, so war and so alive.

"But nothing, just stop thinking about it Michonne. We are here now and that should be all that matters." Andrea rubs soothing circles over Michonne's back hoping it will make the other woman breathe a little better.

"Who didn't make it? Beth said the group was out here to have a funeral because we lost one of our own, she made it seem as if it was you. I know you aren't out here burying that piece of shit Phillip Blake and I've seen almost everyone else except..." She cuts off mid sentence as she realizes who the one person she hadn't caught a glimpse of was. "Not Carl." The tears are once again sliding down her cheeks, she had grown fond of the young soldier since their trip into town a few short days ago.

"No, not Carl. Milton actually, Phillip shot him and he turned." The pain was evident in her shaky voice, but only slightly.

Michonne smiles in relief to hear that the boy was safe. "I'm sorry about Milton, I know he was a friend." But I'm also thankful it wasn't anyone else, does saying that make me a horrible person?"

"No Mich, it doesn't make you a horrible person, you could never be considered a bad person. He died saving someone, so his death wasn't in vain. Besides if you saying that makes you a bad person then I must be the worst because I would rather it be anyone other than you."

"Sounds like I missed one hell of a fight, I hate I didn't get to see that bastard take his last breath. Hell I hate that I wasn't the one who ended his life. speaking of, who did kill him?"

"Carl?" Andrea says it as more of a question than an answer.

Deciding to let the way the blonde answered her go, Michonne finally forces her attention fully on Andrea's face. She can't help noticing the busted lip and the frown that makes it's way to her face. Lightly brushing her fingers over the lips being sure not to hurt her by applying too much pressure. "What's this?" She lovingly traces the bruise that marred Andre'as beautiful face and then lightly runs the tips of her fingers over the bandage on the blondes forehead.

"I know I must look a wreck but I promise it's nothing, just a little cut is all." She lowers her head, not wanting to say anything to upset Michonne again since she was finally starting to calm down. "How are you feeling? We really should get you out of the rain, do you remember anything that happened?" Andrea's eyes move towards Michonne's injured shoulder, she can see the blood seeping through the white bandages.

"The last thing I remember is being in Woodbury, the Governor was telling me how he was planning on killing you all and making me watch before he killed me. I said something that set him off and he hit me in the head with Daryl's gun, then everything went black. I woke up here and that's all I know."

"Carl shot you.." Andrea wants to take the statement back once she sees the wounded look on Michonne's face. "It was an accident, he was aiming for Phillip. He had us convinced he had killed you and kept your head as a souvenir." Tears once again start yo build behind blue eyes but she wills them not to fall. Michonne was here now and they were both safe.

"Carl..."

"Don't Michonne, he would've never done anything to hurt you intentionally. Wanna tell me what happened after you woke up that resulted in you being out here in the rain?"

"When I came to find you Beth said..."

"Did she say I was dead?" Andrea couldn't believe the youngest Greene would do that, especially after everything they've been through.

"Well no not exactly... Okay so maybe I jumped to conclusions." She lowers her eyes towards the ground, everything made so much sense now. Maybe if she had given Beth the chance to explain before she ran off then she wouldn't be out here in the rain right now.

"Just maybe?" Andrea can't help but smile fondly at the woman she had come to love and so close to losing. Michonne was always the type to jump to conclusions first and ask questions later, but it was still one of the things she loved about the other woman.

Before the conversation could go any further they were interrupted by a solemn faced Rick. "Ladies."

"Rick I'm..." Michonne looks down at the ground, she knew the man would probably be mad at her for leaving the way she had. "I know you are mad, I know I shouldn't have left the way I did but I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to. Andrea is the most important person to me and she will ALWAYS come first.

"It doesn't matter now and I hate to interrupt but I need Andrea to help us clear out the rest of the walkers in the yard before we can burn them. Less chance of the fire bringing more walkers if there is only one going, that is if we can even keep it lit with the rain. They shouldn't be able to see the glow of the fire in the daylight, walkers or other people." He thinks of the Governor and his followers, he couldn't help but wonder if all survivors they encountered now would be the same way.

"I want to help too, Rick." Michonne straightens her shoulders but regrets it instantly as pain and nausea wash over her body once again. She manages to swallow it down quickly before Andrea and Rick can see her discomfort. She hadn't noticed before how sick to her stomach she felt.

"No." Both Rick and Andrea say at the same time, but it's Andrea who actually continues. "Absolutely not Michonne. You don't even have a jacket on, your clothes are soaked to the bone as is." Andrea removes her own raincoat and then slips it over Michonne's bare shoulders. "Here take mine and head back inside, I'll be in as soon as we are done here."

"What?" Michonne goes to hand the coat back but instead slides her arms in the sleeves when she sees the look she's getting from the blonde. "Why not? I can do just as well as anyone else out here." She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms which sends another slab of pain through her shoulder. "This is ridiculous." She bites her tongue to keep from gasping as the pain moves over her entire body. "I'm not a child Andrea, i am somewhat capable of taking care of myself."

"You need to be resting, or have you totally forgotten that you were just shot not a day ago?" Rick can feel his temper starting to rise, mostly anger at himself for allowing Michonne to be hurt by his son. He still needed to sit down and talk to the boy about his actions lately, the last thing they needed was a baby Shane running around.

"No... Have you forgotten that it was YOUR son who shot me?!" Michonne regrets her lash out as soon as the word leave her mouth. She knew it was an accident because Andrea had said it was and she honestly didn't hold a grudge against the young boy.

Andrea moves closer but stops when Rick puts his hand up. "Whoa now, there's no need..."

"No Andrea, she's right. Carl did do that but it still doesn't change the fact that you were indeed shot and you need to be inside, not out here... Being out here could end up hurting you worse than you are now. Do you really want to risk that? You aren't at your best right now, you being out here will only cause Andrea to constantly be looking over her shoulder. That would be dangerous don't you agree."

"I have been resting." The words come out between gritted teeth, she hated nothing more than being seen as someone who was weak. She had never been seen as weak and she wouldn't be seen that way now. She was a fighter, even before this whole zombie shit went down. "Do not treat me as if I am some weakling who can't take care of herself. And as far as Andrea is concerned... You both know I'd never do anything to put her in danger, not for anything."

"Mich." Andrea looks at the other woman with pleading eyes. "No one is saying that you are weak but you do need to rest, please. If not for yourself then do it for me?" She knows it's a low blow but but she'd do whatever it took to make sure Michonne wasn't in any danger. She can feel a headache starting just behind her eyes, she hated fighting with the other woman.

Michonne rolls her eyes and turns her glare towards the object of her affection. "And what about you huh? You were the one with a raging fever and pretty much in a coma!" The truth was, she knew she would eventually give into Andrea's requests but that didn't mean she couldn't make her work a little bit for it first. Sure Andrea had a point, but she had a point that she wanted to be made as well. "Why don't you go ahead and try to argue that fact..."

"Are you really gonna make this about me right now? We are talking about you and how you were shot, do not turn this around to be about me!" Andrea smiles even though the words seem mean, she gives the woman a wink as she goes to walk past her. "Now get inside, the longer we stand out here arguing the longer it's gonna take! You will catch the flu out here, your body and system is weak. We don't have the supplies to treat the flu."

"You can't catch the flu from the rain Andrea. And besides if you are well enough to be out here then so am I, fair is fair. I  
ll go inside at the same time and you and not a second sooner."

"What are we Michonne? Five fucking years old? I didn't get shot, I have my weapon." She pulls out her gun and shows it to the woman. "Where is yours?" She loves Michonne but sometimes the woman could act like a spoiled brat, now being one of the times.

"No you weren't shot, you were just tied up and tortured by a mad man!" She reaches back for her katana and rolls her eyes when she sees the blonde smirking at her. "Damn it."

"What's the matter Mich, missing something?"

Rick finally having had enough throws his hands up. "You know what?" Both women look towards the man after his outburst. "How about the both of you go inside, we don't need Andrea after all." The rain is starting to come down faster and all he really wanted to do was get this over with. "It was wrong of me to ask for Andrea's help in the first place.

"But Rick..." Andrea is now glaring at the man as well. "I..."

Cutting the blonde off mid sentence, "No. Michonne is right. Both of you need to be inside, you've had a rough couple of days. It wouldn't hurt to just take today and get some rest, tomorrow maybe you can go with Glenn on a run into town. So just please, take today. Talk, or do whatever it is that you women like to do. We have more important things to do than sit here bitching and arguing. go inside and work out your issues, tomorrow I expect you both to pitch in at least some way."

Andrea looks at Rick as if she is in deep thought, almost as if she was ready to argue with the man that she was fine. But she changes her mind when she sees the lingering look she is receiving from Michonne. "Okay, but this is only today." She smiles as she holds her hand out towards the other woman, "You heard the boss Mich, let's get going."

"I'm not tired." She had never been the kind to take orders from someone, she was a leader not a follower.

"No? Well I am and I would love nothing more than for you to come and keep me company." Looking down at her outstretched hand she wiggles her fingers, "Please?" She lightly chews at the side of her cheek, pleading with her eyes that Michonne take her hand. "Come on Mich, don't make me use force."

Michonne finally takes the offered hand, entwining their fingers together loosely, she knew she would follow Andrea any where. "Yeah okay Andrea, let's go inside then there are a few things I would like to talk to you about anyway." She takes the lead as she pulls a smiling blonde back into the prison behind her.

Once they are both tucked safely away inside their cell and in dry clothes they both sit at the edge of the bed awkwardly. "So..." Michonne had never been so nervous about anything in her entire life.

Andrea can't help but laugh at the terrified look on Michonne's face. "Yes Michonne, is there something you would like to talk to me about? By the look on your face I would say that it's something pretty important." She reaches over and takes Michonne's hand, hoping it would give the woman the courage to say what was on her mind. "You don't have to be scared..."

"I ain't scared."

"You aren't scared." Andrea gives the other woman a chastising look at her choice of words. "And I can tell that you are, you know you can tell me anything."

"It's really good to see you looking like you feel better, I was really worried about you." She reaches up and caresses Andrea's face. "I don't know what I would do without you, you are my world Andrea. Things just don't look the same when you aren't by my side, things seem darker somehow. It's a scary world we live in and I don't want to live in it without you."

Leaning into the touch, she closes her eyes and sighs deeply before smiling brightly. Her own hand coming up to cover the one already resting on her cheek. "I know what you mean, I feel the same way." Andrea's smile falls as her eyes move to Michonne's injured shoulder, "How's the arm? Does it hurt badly?"

"It's a little tender, but nothing I can't handle. My head though? That's a different story, it feels like someone used it as a ball on the tennis court." Bad thing about the end of the world is that there aren't pills just sitting there to help out with the aches and pains.

"It's starting to bleed through, maybe we should change the bandage. Hershel said the bullet went all the way through cleanly, so you pretty much have a hole a completely through your shoulder."

"In a bit okay? I just wanna sit here with you for a while, I have missed you so much. It feels like it's been years since we've sat down and had an actual conversation that didn't involve use screaming and fighting with each other."

"Hey Mich?" Andrea reaches up and starts to rub soothing circles over Michonne's temples, it always seemed to help ease the pain when her head was hurting.

"Hmm?" She can't help but lean into the touch, it seemed to spread warmth all over her entire body. Andrea's fingers felt amazing as they moved across her skin, how she'd ever lived without the blondes touch before would forever be a mystery to her.

"I'm sorry." You can hear the tears in her voice. "I'm sorry I'm the reason that all of this happened. Everyone I love in this world could have been killed, and it's all because I was too stubborn to trust you."

"Andrea don't..." She can feel the blondes pain as if it were her own.

"No, let me get this out or I may not have the guts to do it later. I love you, Michonne. I love you with everything that I am. I hope you know that, that I didn't choose Woodbury over you. I wanted to have a life there, a life where I didn't have to constantly look over my shoulder or sleep with one eye open. But it was always you that I wanted to have that life with, not Phillip."

"I love you too Andrea."

"No..." She takes a deep breath as she looks into Michonne's dark eyes, she can see so many emotions swirling around in those brown orbs. Could love really be one of those emotions?

"No you don't love me?" Confusion fills her head, Andres was starting to make no sense at all and it definitely wasn't helping with her headache at the moment.

"No, I..." Andrea sighs and pulls her hands away, it was now or never. "I mean I really love you and I know you probably don't feel the same about me but I couldn't go another day without telling you how I felt. We have lost so much time already and letting you walk away that day in Woodbury was the biggest mistake of my life, and boy let me tell you I have made a lot of them. Then when I thought you were gone and that I was never gonna see you again..."

Michonne cuts the woman off by kissing her soundly on the lips before pulling back slowly, resting her forehead against Andrea's. "You would be wrong my sweet Andrea, I feel exactly the same way you do. It's like my heart is tethered to yours and when you aren't around it feels like a piece of me is missing, and I don't mean just any part. I mean the most important part, I can't be without you. I know we've both done and said things we regret but I really don't want to dwell on that anymore. I just want to be with you, that's all."

Andrea lets out a loud breath that she didn't realizing she had been holding in. "Exactly? You are sitting here telling me that you are feeling exactly the same way as I do? You actually want to be with me?"

Michonne smiles as she sees the tears shimmering in blue eyes, making them shine like the crystal sea. They held so much love and hope that it warmed her heart, "Yes Exactly. I know we aren't promised tomorrow in this world anymore but I want to spend all the tomorrow's that I have left with you." She reaches up and wipes away the tears that are sliding down Andrea's beautiful face. "Don't cry, please don't cry. You know that breaks my heart, we can finally be together no more bullshit."

"They are happy tears, I can promise you that. I just never dreamed that I'd ever hear you say that you felt the same about me as I do you. I've dreamed of you saying those words to me so many times. i thought they were just that, just dreams that would never come true. Now that they are I', having a hard time believing that you actually love me."

"What's not to love? I'm pretty sure I've loved you since that day in the woods when I saved you from those walkers. Your eyes can captivate me for hours at a time, I could stare at them for the rest of my life and never grow tired of seeing them. Your smile lights up the room and anyone who has the privilege of being on the receiving end of one of those smiles, well they should concider themselves damn lucky. Your hair is so soft and beautiful, it reminds me of fresh honey that my mom use to give me when I was a kid. You are smart, kind and amazingly beautiful. Having you in my life has given me a new reason to live when before I met you I had no reason, I had lost everything and everyone. I live to see your face every single day, I need you as much as I need the air I breathe. When I look at you I see everything that his new world is missing, you are my own little slice of heaven and I never want to lose that. I can face anything as long as I have to by my side to face it with me."

"You really mean all of that? I'm nothing special Michonne, I'm just an ordinary person. You speak of me as if I were a goddess or something. You really shouldn't put me up on a pedestal, one day I'm probably gonna do something to make myself fall."

"Oh no my love, you are far from ordinary. I just wish you could see yourself as I see you, you are amazingly beautiful on the inside and out. If you give me the chance of letting me call you mine then I will tell you how special you are every single day for the rest of my life. You deserve that and I want to be the person who gives it to you."

"You can have forever, however long that may be. And just so you know, you deserve the same treatment as I do... Maybe even better."

Michonne smiles as she slowly moves closer, her eyes rest on the ruby lips she wants to feel on her own once again. "We can start with forever and take it from there." Finally their lips meet again and she feels as if she's died and gone to heaven. The kiss is soft, just the gentle pressure of their lips as they mold together. She had never felt something so amazing in her entire existence. "I love you."

Andrea pulls back slowly, once again resting their foreheads together. "Say it again?"

"I love you Andrea, with everything that I am or ever will be. You are it for me, for how ever long we have left. It's you and me baby, you are all I need. If you want to stay here at the prison with the group then that's exactly what we will do."

"Thank you." Andrea smiles as she places playful kisses all over Michonne's face. "I know you've been wanting to head towards to coast, my parents lived in Florida... Maybe we can head that way and see if I can find them."

"You have nothing to thank me for sweetheart, it's always been you. The heart wants what the heart wants and truth is that it's wanted you from the very beginning, it will ALWAYS be you." She pulls the blonde fully into her arms, not caring about her injured shoulder. "Why don't we just take it one day at a time, we can always decide what we want to do in the long run at later time. Let things settle down here and see what the others are planning on doing, they can't stay here forever."

"I never figured you for such a sap Michonne..."

"I'm not a sap, I'm a bad ass who just happens to be in love with you. Besides I can't help that just the sight of you makes me weak in the knees, it's your fault for being so damn gorgeous."

Andrea moves her head to the crook of Michonne's neck, lightly kissing at the soft flesh she finds there. "Do you know how long I've wanted to hear those words leave your mouth?"

"Probably as long as I've wanted to say them." She nudges the side of Andrea's neck almost the same way the blonde had done to her, placing small kisses over her neck and ear. "I'm sorry it took both of us almost dying for me to get up the nerve to actually say them."

"Michonne not to ruin the mood but can I ask you a question?" When she feels the other woman shake her head she continues, "Why did you leave me? I mean I know you said you couldn't stay but why not force me to go with you?"

She feels as if the breath had been kicked right out of her lungs, she knew this question would come sooner or later. "I didn't want to leave you, I wanted you to come with me on your own free will. I wanted the choice to be yours and yours alone, I didn't want you to regret leaving at a later time. I know you weren't ready to give up the chance at a normal life and that's all I ever wanted for you. To be safe and loved, even if I wasn't the one loving you. Leaving you was hard, I couldn't do it again even if I wanted to. I'm sorry that I left you, I wish I could go back and change it but I can't."

"I never loved him, it was always you that I wanted. Every night I would dream of being in your arms and every morning I would wake up in tears because I knew you weren't there. And then..." The tears are coming down hard now as she chokes on her words, "I am so very sorry Michonne. I almost got the both of us killed because I was stupid and stubborn, I could have lost you forever. He could have killed everyone here. I don't care about my life but what I do care about is the lives of the people I love, the people that I call my family. And yes I do want a normal life but that's just not an option anymore."

"Shh baby, we aren't dead. We are both alive and we can be together now, everything will be okay from here on out because I am never leaving you again. No matter what happens. No one from your family died, sure we lost Milton but you still have all of us here. The people here love you Andrea and you are lucky to have them."

Andrea tried hard to pull out of the comfortable embrace, feeling as if she didn't deserve to be with Michonne. As if the woman deserved someone who would've left Woodbury with her no matter what. "I messed everything up Mich, if I had only left with you that day then everything would be different."

"Andrea you need to stop that right now!" She quickly grabs the sides of Andrea's face, forcing the blonde to look her in the eyes. "Ever thought that maybe if things had been different then we wouldn't be here right now? Maybe we wouldn't have found your old group? The truth is, we all make mistakes. No one blames you for what happened and that goes double for me. You didn't know what kind of man Phillip was..."

"No but you did." Andrea now has tears of sorrow running down her face instead of happiness. "You had that bastard pegged from the start."

"And I should have stayed there with you instead of leaving you there to fend for yourself. So let's just not go there, got it? We can't live our lives based on what ifs my love, let's just focus on right now and take each day as it comes... Together. Shoula, coulda, woulda baby... It's not important anymore."

Andrea chooses not to answer but instead pulls the other woman in for a deep kiss. Her tongue slips out to ask for entrance as their bodies mold together as one on the bed. "Being with you like this, it's so much better than I could have imagined. Now that I have tasted your lips I don't think I could go but a few minutes without having them on my own. I know that I couldn't bare to live without you." She proves her point by placing small kisses over dark lips. "You taste like candy, the best damn candy I've ever tasted in my life." She smiles as she gently crawls her away into her girls lap, her legs going to wrap tightly around her waist and her arms around her shoulders being extra careful of the gun shot wound. "Can I just stay right here for the rest of my life?"

"Andrea, maybe we shouldn't be doing this right now." She pulls away slightly not not completely.

Andrea looks Michonne in the eye as she fakes stupidity, "Do what? All I wanted was a few more kisses and maybe some cuddle time?" he pulls the woman back towards her body, not happy with the space Michonne had created between them.

"Cuddle time?" She smiles and mock glares at the blonde, "Do I look like a cuddler to you?"

Andrea pushes her love down completely on the bed before covering the length of Michonne's body with her own. "Oh I don't know Mich, remember all those times we had to snuggle up to keep warm because it was so cold out? You would wrap your arms around me so tight that I wasn't sure where I ended and you started, I looked forward to those cold nights more than anything. It's one of the reasons I love winter so much now." She leans up and nuzzles her her face into the crook of Michonne's neck, placing slow kisses all over the side of her neck and ear. "Maybe you can make a small exception to the no cuddling deal? I promise I won't tell anyone that you are really a softy at heart. Unless you refuse to cuddle and then I don't know what I might say."

"Hmm, oh really?" She tilts her head to the side, giving the blonde more access to her neck.

"Yes really."

Michonne leans up as if she is gonna pull the blonde into an embrace but instead assaults her sides with her hands. "And what if I say I'll tickle you until you admit I'm not a softy?"

Andrea takes deep breaths of air in between laughs as dark hands wreaked havoc on her body. "Stop!" She can't control the giggles that slip past her lips as she tries to push the dark hands away from her sides.

"Say I'm not a softy." Michonne can't help but laugh as well, seeing Andrea act so care free made her happy.

"But you are my softy." Her blue eyes shine brightly with love and happiness.

Andrea says those words with so much love that Michonne feels her heart swell with pride. "I guess I can handle that..."

Andrea doesn't let the other woman finish as she once again covers dark lips with her own. Kissing Michonne felt like taking a long drink of water after being stranded in the desert for days without any. "Cuddling is still an option. You don't have to answer now, just think about it." She gives her one last kiss before moving to her side of the bed but stops when she feels a hand tightly gripping her own. "Change your mind already?"

"Who is Amy?"

The question catches the blonde off guard, she had never spoken of Amy to Michonne. The smile that was just now stretched across her face slips into a look of sadness. "Amy?" The name barely comes out as the tears gather behind her eyes once again.

"I've heard you call out to her at night sometimes, I never wanted to bring it up before but now I really need to know. Who is she Andrea?" She instantly feels bad for just blurting the question out when she sees the fresh tears building behind those eyes that she loved so much. Reaching up she she tries to brush them away with her thumb. "Hey, I didn't mean to upset you... We don't have to talk about this right now. I'm sorry."

"Amy is, was my sister. My baby sister..."

"Andrea, we don't have to do this right now. I didn't mean to push, I only asked because I want to know everything about you. She was imortant to you and so I want to know exactly who she is, but I'd rather not talk about it if it's going to upset you."

Andrea sighs deeply, Michonne could be so thoughtful at times and it warmed the blondes heart to know that she cared more about her feelings than anything else. "No it's okay, really. I would like to tell you about Amy but I'm sure there will be a lot of tears as I do, so you will just have to bare with me as we talk. Do you think you can do that?"

Michonne wraps her arms tightly around Andrea's waist as she brings her down into a laying position. "Take as much time as you need, I'm not going anywhere."

Andrea lays her head on Michonne's chest, entwining her fingers with Michonne's. The steady thump of her heart calming her nerves. "As I said Amy was my little sister, we were on a road trip when everything went to shit. Dale was the one who found us and took us under his wing, he was a father figure to both Amy and I. Our parents were in Florida and we had no idea if they were still alive or not. One night after me and Amy had been fishing we were celebrating our big catch with a cookout type deal and we had all let our guards down. Amy was coming out of the RV when she was attacked, I just couldn't get to her fast enough. The walker got her on the arm and then the neck, by the time I reached her she was already dying. We lost a big majority of our group that night, everyone who is here now minus the Greene's were in our original group from Atlanta. There's a few that we have lost since then..." Andrea voice cuts off as she thinks of Dale and how she had treated him since the CDC.

"Things were bad after Amy died, I had just lost the one person in this world that I had left. After the attack we found ourselves at the CDC, there was a doctor there named Jenner. After we settled in we found out that the whole place was gonna be blowing up, but Jenner said that it was a way to end it. No more pain or suffering, he was giving us all a way out of this life. The others all wanted to leave, but one of our own wanted to stay. Her name was Jacqui and I had wanted to stay with her, take the way out and just be done with it. I wanted to be with Amy again, I wanted my life to be over. I didn't want to live in this world anymore, does any one really? I mean, who wants to live in a world where everyone they love dies and then comes back to try and eat them? Dale said he wasn't leaving if I didn't, so in the end I left so he wouldn't die too. I treated him so horribly after that, our relationship strained because I felt he had taken away my choices. I was bitter and angry for a long time, I was a total bitch to him."

"Did you ever make it right with him?"

"We were starting to mend our friendship but he was killed by a walker one night at the farm, it just ripped him apart. But I continued to live and at the beginning I hated every single second of it, but then you found me."

"Andrea..." Michonne pulls the woman in even closer as the sobs rack the blondes body. "Thank you for telling me, but that's enough for today I don't want to focus on the bad anymore." She brings her lips to ruby red ones, she can taste the salt from Andrea's tears. "I love you."

Andrea closes her eyes and cuddles up even closer to her Warrior, her eyes suddenly heavy with sleep. "Love you too Mich." She is pretty much asleep as soon as the words leave her mouth, the events of the last week finally caving in on her.

Michonne can't help but smile, things finally seemed as if everything would work out. Kissing the blonde on the forehead she closes her eyes as well, "Sleep well my love."


	12. Chapter 12

I'm sorry guys I seem to be in slump. I'm not sure of anyone is even interested anymore. But if you are interested im working on the chapter as we speak.


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